Moonlit
by StickieBun
Summary: SEQUEL TO BLOOD RELATIONS. When investigating a case that has been bothering the Dispatch for a while, Eric mysteriously disappears, and when he returns, things may never be the same again. He will never be the same again...and will Alan stay by his side when someone else comes to sweep him off his feet?
1. Hawaii

**Moonlit**

**Chapter 1**

Hawaii was an idea of natural beauty, serenity and peace. Palm trees swayed in the breeze, the sea rolled frothy along the banks and shores, and a gentle fruity wind floated across the island, nature's own special brand of incense.

Truly, it was the very definition of paradise. To no wonder it was the perfect spot for vacation, for mortals and immortals alike. Reapers, especially, were attracted to the island's relaxing aura - when given the chance, they swarmed there, eager to escape from the rough and tiresome gruel of work and society's expectations.

It was a time and moment for them to blend in with the mortals, to be given a chance to be human once again.

In which, on a small resort in the tiny city of Honolulu, a certain couple lay relaxing on the beach. The first, a smaller, rather graceful and gentle brunet, lay spread out on a towel, enjoying the summer sun. Next to him, his husband; a tall, well built Scotsman of blond hair and a lion-like laugh.

Currently, said man was hooked on a small cellphone, smiling as he heard the hyper voices of their two little grandchildren chatter away.

"So... How's yer Daddy enjoyin' bein' 'princess of the house' for a while?" Eric sniggered, dearly glad that he was hundreds of miles away from the stoic supervisor; mortal world or not.

"Daddy looks prettier in pink than I do!" The older of the twins, Briella announced loudly into the phone, her wild head of blond curls being brushed back into a ponytail by her mother, "Which only means I never have to wear pink again! You have to help tell that to Auntie Grell!"

The blond reaper who had mothered the twins chuckled, knowing he could be heard as his cell phone was on speaker, "Bri attacked William with all her hair bows Grell has given her. He almost has pig-tails." Ronald teased, looking over at his husband.

Kai, Briella's younger twin brother ran across the room to be closer to the phone; his voice being softer than his sister's, "Daddy promised us ice-cream later." He smiled, the frozen treat being his current favorite, "Are you and Gramdma coming home for icecream?"

William sighed, unable to get up off the couch, throwing his lover a pitiful glance only a dog would give someone after it had been neutered.

"Ronnie, liebe, can you help me?" he tried, though knowing his husband was busy helping the twins 'beautify' him.

He had learned never to trust the 'innocent look' ever again.

Eric snorted on the other line, dearly wishing he could see his boss at that moment.

"Grandma an' I will be comin' home in a little bit, Kai. In the meantime, can ya and yer sister take pictures o' Daddy fer me? I'm sure he'd loovvveee tha'!"

"Mommy already let me take a picture on his phone!" Briella announced, wiggling until her hair was done and she got off Ronald's lap.

Ronald chuckled and walked over to his husband, leaning down to kiss him, "Just remember this gives you 'worlds best daddy' points." He snickered.

William gave him a pout, holding out his arms.

"Help me up, I'm stuck!" he whined, wincing as Briella wandered over with a hair bow, a very 'Eric Slingby' smirk upon her face. The little girl was like her grandfather in a number of ways, and this was only one of them.

Ronald took William's hands and helped him up, "Honey, lets let daddy go free so he can get ready to take you two out for icecream, okay?" he smiled down at his daughter when she made a dramatic gasp of protest. Go tell grandpa you love him so he can have more fun with Grandma before coming home."

Eric chuckled slightly, hearing all the commotion on the other end.

"Awww, is Daddy still not feelin' well?"

"Slingby, father-in-law or not, I will give you overtime when you return, I swear to Rhea!"

The blonde laughed, hearing his grandchildren call from the receiver.

"We love you, Grandpa, Grandma!" the twins chorused, Briella all but shouting into the phone while Kai's voice was a shy murmur.

Hearing Briella's shout, Alan pushed himself up and leaned into the phone, "Love you too, be good for mommy and daddy, now." He smiled before he heard them chorus that they would and said their goodbyes. Once the call ended, he smiled at Eric and leaned in to kiss him, running a hand through his blond hair. Usually, he wasn't one for public displays of affection, but they were on vacation; indulging was almost a requirement. He hummed, moving his lips against Eric's before pulling back with a smile.

A purr rumbled in Eric's throat, the man moving to pull his husband onto his lap. Gently running his hands up and down the delicate Reaper's side, he relishing in the feel of smooth skin beneath his coarse fingertips, drawing a cool line up the man's spine with a condescending smirk.

"This is nice…" Alan murmured, moving to lay along the length of his husband's body, "It's been so long since we have had a vacation without little ones to keep our eyes on…First our baby Ronnie…then our grand babies…I forgot how nice it is to be just the two of us for a weekend…"

"Mmm" Eric nodded in agreement, leaning back against the towel with Alan in his arms. "Jus' the two of us, alone." He smirked mischievously, tickling his husband side without warning.

"E-ERIC!" Alan gasped out, wiggling as he was tickled, "St-Stop! Please! Hahahaa!"

"Awwww, yer still as ticklish as always!" his husband teased, continuing the ruthless action. "Is my little Alan ticklish?"

"Don't baby-t-talk me you big oaf!" he gasped, "And st-stop or no special tr-eatment tonight!"

"Tha's cheatin'" Eric pouted, yet nonetheless ceased in the torture, resuming to cuddle his lover. "So... Wha' have ya got fer me later, honors student Humphries?"

He pressed a soft kiss to the smaller Reapers forehead, nuzzling him with a lion-like purr.

Alan relaxed once more, resting a cheek on Eric's bare chest, running his fingertips lovingly over his toned muscles, "It's been a long, long time since I have been a student, Eric."

"Mmmm... an' a while since I las' taught. I might look into tha' again, been a while since I looked after students - ruddy hyperactive kids ya were." he chuckled, ruffling the brunet's hair. "I remember when ya were tha' shy little baby at the back o' m' class. Ya stuttered alot too."

"I did not!" Alan protested, "I simply saw no reason to disrupt my studies with mindless chatter."

"Ya did, I remember it. Ya were adorable though - like a wee rabbit. Remember the first time I brought ya ta my apartment cause ya lost yer key? It was rainin' I think... I gave ya one o' m' nightshirts but ya were too small fer it" he sniggered.

"Anyone would be too small for that shirt…" Alan muttered, cheeks going red. In fact, the shirt had made him look very much like a child, going down to his knees and it had kept slipping off his shoulder.

"Awww but ya were a special case." Eric smirked. "M' little Alan from the start - I think tha' was also the same night we first shared a bed together."

"Only because your place was such a mess it was nearly impossible to clear off the sofa… And I would have been fine if I hadn't awoken in the morning with you hugging me close with your rather prominent morning wood pressing against my rear!"

"Ahhh, a night ta remember!" Eric joked, grinning like a loon whist kissing the brunet on the nose. "Still happen's an' ya dun complain now."

The sun began to set over the ocean, coloring the sky a variety of orange and pinks. The waters rolled against the shore, crashing with a loud roar.

"Now I'm married to you…and we have a son. Then I was your student—just your student!"

"I know, I'm teasin' ya, love!" the man chuckled, moving to stand. "Ahhhh damn, it's gettin' late - we should head back. I dun wanna get the livin' shit scared outta me again by those tikis..."

"Don't lie…you are more wanting to get back to the room." Alan teased, getting up and looking over his shoulder at him with a wink, "I'll let you have dessert before we go for dinner."

"Spoilin' me, are ya?" the Scotsman chuckled, packing up the beach gear and towels. "An' wha' kind o' desert are we talkin'?"

"That's entirely up to you, handsome." He said with a small smirk of his own, grabbing his towel as he started walking towards their beach-side hotel. He was almost certain he knew what the Scotsman would want. After all, it wasn't often that the small brunet was so flirtatious and open to such things. He always would be shy about it and discreetly hint at Eric getting lucky sometimes. In fact, he hadn't acted this open about it since their honeymoon.

Eric chuckled, following his lover with an almost hop in his step. He knew Alan was often uncomfortable with being openly intimate, so to hear him tease and flirt was a rare treat. Either way, Eric knew he was going to get lucky tonight.

Checking back into their room, he let Alan enter first before attacking him with passionate kisses.

"Mmh…" Alan's arms immediately wrapped around Eric's torso as soon as the older man was on him with his hungry lips. His leg slid up Eric's hooking over the man's hip as he was picked up easily and backed over to the large bed awaiting them.

Eric purred into the kisses, laying his lover gently down one the soft mattress, running his hands gently over his body. He traced over his ribs and stomach, stopping just before the rim of his swim shorts.

"Mm! Hold on a sec…" Alan said, breaking the kiss and stretching to the side table, opening the drawer and pulling out a condom, "No forgetting this, this time." He said before reconnecting their lips, pressing the item to Eric's hand, his free fingers tugging the tie of the man's swimwear.

"Mmmmm... Awww, c'mon love, wha's the worst tha' can happen?" Eric teased, letting the brunet fiddle with his swim shorts sliding out of them.

"Last time we got a Ronald from it." Alan said simply.

"Wha' if I'm careful this time?" Eric purred, moving his head down to press kisses along the length of Alan's chest.

"No. No protection, no dessert." Alan said, "There is something about my blood-line and I don't want to go through all that again! I swear if you make me I'll break more than just your hand, and it'll be before I go into labor!"

"Relax, love, I would never force you into anything. I merely tease" Eric reassured, kissing his lover on the lips whist gently removing the Reaper's swim trunks.

"Good to know you still use that brain of yours." Alan teased back, lifting his hips as he was stripped bare. And readied for an evening of passion.

"See, I told ya m' brains not at m' crotch!" Eric boasted, grinning as he gazed at his lover laying sprawled out over the bed. "Damn... If ya weren't a Reaper, I would've thought ya'd be an angel..."

Alan blushed, and nearly smacked his palm to his own face, "And there's that cheesiness I knew before we got married…"

Eric laughed, moving to loom over him with a cunning smirk.

He cleared his throat.

"So, Mr. Humphries... Have you finished all your homework, or am I forced to... discipline you~?"

Leaning down, he positioned his mouth over the nape of Alan's neck, pressing his lips against the pale skin and suckling.

Alan moaned softly, his already soft voice growing softer, "If…you don't have my 'homework', Mister Slingby…then you lost it…again."

"Ah, but I believe you did not hand it in, Mr. Humphries - what a naughty boy are~"

He nipped at the pale flesh, marking it as his, and only his alone. This was his mate, his love, life and soul. He would do anything for Alan, even if it meant crawling through Hell and back just to save him. –Which he had.

"I would commit any sin to share yer pain." he murmured softly, gazing half-lidded at the brunet.

Alan looked up at him, "…I know you would…You have tried so hard to rid me of it…" he reached up and cupped his cheek, "But you have given me the best life anyone could ask for…"

Eric smiled down at him, though inside he was frowning. He hated the Thorns, hated how they tore and ate away at his lover's life, like a rotten parasite.

Yes, that is what they were - parasites.

He had tried everything to rid them of the horrid disease, but in vain were his actions and in sorrow was their results of nothing.

"If only there was a way..."

"Stop that…I'll loose you to the chase to find a way…"

"Ah, yer never gonna loose me, love" Eric grinned, trying to reassure his lover with a kiss. "Until the day I die and even then after, I will always love ya, my sweet Alan."

"Do you not remember the distance you created last time…before we were married?"

"Crystal Palace," Eric murmured, almost without thought - the memories of almost loosing his lover to tragedy still made him shiver in fear.

Alan nodded sadly at the memory…Eric had grown distant, had kept secrets…they both had almost died, and the older reaper had gone on trial for his crimes…Jail wasn't a possibility…not for his crimes. He'd only gotten off easy because William, Alan, and Grell had begged the court to look harder at 'why' rather than 'what'.

Even after he'd gotten off from his punishment, Alan had refused to speak to him, to even be in his presence because of what he had done to all those innocent, pure lives. Sometimes, he wondered, because of that notion, if he truly deserved all he had now.

Alan reached up, the dimming light from outside dancing in his eyes, "Don't you dare let me almost loose you like that again."

Eric broke out of his trance, blinking down at the smaller man laying before him, the glow of the setting sun dancing across pale skin and delicate feature - like a flower, something so fragile, so precious.

Something he had to protect at all costs.

He smiled.

"I promise, my white Rose..."

Passionate cries and moans broke the silence of the hotel, the ominous creak of a bed word enough to bring tell of the desirable and lustful acts of love occurring in the lavish room of 123


	2. Home Life

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 2**

A couple of days later saw the couple's return, the Reaper society suggesting that they, like all other tourists, take a plane back to England. It was horribly long flight, of which Eric spent half of complaining about the movies, how the seats stiffened his rear, and that it was 'takin' t'damn long!'. All in all, he was just terrified of planes in general - they never registered in his mind as 'safe'.

Landing in London, Eric almost all but ran off the jet with Alan, not stopping until he reached customs.

"Finally... I never though' we'd get off tha' bucket in the sky!"

"We could have taken the portal back…" Alan sighed, shaking his head and pulling away to collect their bags, "You said you could handle the plane."

"I wasn' tha' bad!... Was I?" Eric shrugged, following his lover, pausing as a pair of familiar squeals sounded from across the room. Kai and Briella toddled as fast as their little legs could carry them, their mother behind in tow.

"You asked for so many glasses of Whisky, they cut you off." He pointed out right before he grinned and set down his bags, stooping down to catch the twins running on ahead of Ronald to greet them. "How's Grandma's little sweethearts?"

"Good!" Kai grinned, his soft voice barely a whisper in the otherwise loud airport. "Daddy felt sick again this morning, so we had to leave him at home! But it's okay - Bri an' me made him some tea and I gived him Ruffles so he won't be lonely!" He held up his backpack, showing only one of two teddies strapped to the side - a pony by the name of Sugar. Kai loved most animals, yet his favorites seemed to be horses and wolves, the latter of which was the stuffed animal keeping his father company at home.

"That is very thoughtful of you, Kai." He smiled, kissing his grandson and turning to Briella who only grinned, turning to look up at Eric

"Grandpaaaaaa!" she tugged his shirt, "Hug time!"

"'Eyyy little tiger! How are you? C'mere!" the blonde laughed, lifting her into his arms, spinning her around as she squealed with laughter. "Bein' a good girl fer Mummy?"

A mischievous grin spread her lips, "For Mommy, yes." She responded as she was brought in to hug him, cuddling into his neck.

Ronald chuckled, "She's been a handful for Will apparently…"

"So I heard on the phone" Eric chuckled, wrapping the little girl into a bear hug. "So how's William? Still sick?"

Kai giggled, reaching up to snag his Grandmother's glasses, slipping them on his face.

"I'll be needing those…" Alan smiled, gently picking him up and letting him snuggle in his arms, "Can't go home with you without them."

Ronald kissed both parents upon the cheek and grabbed their bags. The two reapers both often pack lightly. "He's getting constant headaches. I'm blaming his overload of work lately."

"He doesn' seem ta know the meaning of 'relax', eh?" the blonde chuckled, wrapping his free arm around his husband, leading him out of the airport. "Probably some bug he caught though, if he's still throwing up."

"Did you hear him on the phone, Grandpa?" Briella asked, riding atop the man's shoulders.

"Yup" Eric laughed. "Dunno how ya got Daddy on speaker phone though."

"Mommy showed me what buttons to push so we can share the phone!" She giggled, moving like a monkey over and up onto his shoulders. "Daddy was in the room and could share, too."

"Daddy must've loved tha'!" Eric laughed, reaching to hold her steady. "Careful up there!"

"You never let me fall, Grandpa!" She protested, hugging his head.

Ronald chuckled, "They have both missed you quite a bit." He said, walking with them towards the parking lot where their family car was parked.

"I can imagine..." Eric chuckled, wandering over to the car, seeing the familiar face of Soul poking her head out the window. "Couldn' trust the pup at home with Daddy?"

"She loves car rides. As soon as she heard the car keys she came running and refused to take 'no' for an answer." Ronald shrugged.

"Mary is helping Daddy, though!" Briella said, "She was sleeping on Daddy's feet to keep them warm!"

"An' we gave Daddy some extra blankets so he'd feel warm! He was shivering when he woke up!" Kai chirped, trotting along, holding his grandmother's hand.

Soul's tail wagged as the family approached, barks turning into long howls of greeting.

Ronald unlocked the doors and loaded the bags into the trunk before helping to strap the twins into their car seats properly.

"Well, I hope William isn't getting himself too sick." Alan commented, strapping himself into the back seat alongside the twins as Eric and Ronald got into the front for the drive back home.

"Daddy promised to watch Snow White with us later!" Kai giggled, hugging his stuffed pony.

"Did 'e now? Good fer him - he ain' nose deep in paperwork fer once!" Eric laughed, glancing out the window as trees and people flew by in a blur.

"I took his paperwork he had brought home away from him so he can get proper rest." Ronald explained, turning on the highway and speeding up to merge into traffic.

Briella giggled, "Daddy said that Mommy won't like that he did that when Daddy gets back to work and is his boss again!"

"And Daddy will regret turning back into the Boss when he's on the couch that night." Ronald snickered back.

Kai giggled, kicking his feet back and forth against Eric's seat. The blonde paid no heed, though he smirked slightly, reaching back to snap his hand at the toddler.

"Oi, crocky's gonna get ya!" he sniggered, his hand miming the mouth of a crocodile.

Kai squealed, trying to back into his grandmother with a laugh. It was an old trick, one that once worked on Ronald when he was young.

Ronald chuckled and took the next exit. After the war five years previous, when William's home, his parents' home, and his grandfather's home and shop had all been destroyed, the unusually large family of reapers had a single house built to share. It was rather large, as Grell had insisted that they live in style, and unsurprisingly, Undertaker had turned out to be very rich and paid for the entire project without batting an eye, building the home right on the line between the Human and the reaper realms so that his shop could still be accessible to humans. Their home also wasn't far from the airport, so the drive wasn't a long one, soon finding them pulling into their driveway.

First glance saw Grell and Ciel sitting out in the garden, the redhead planting a bed of red roses while the child lay on his back in the grass, soaking up the sun. Undertaker was away at work, tending to a funeral for the afternoon, while William lay presumably asleep inside.

Briella gave an uncharacteristic whine, eying her water gun lying by the hose and Ciel sleeping away.

Ronald looked into the rearview mirror at his daughter, "Bri…don't think about it. We don't need the house smelling like wet dog again.

"But he's in his human form!" She protested, looking at the demon who had been adopted by Grell and Undertaker after Sebastian's sacrifice to save the boy.

"But that's not nice, right Grandma?" Kai chirped, smiling up at Alan.

"No, it's not nice." Alan agreed with a smile, "It would be a rather unpleasant surprise for him."

"But that's what makes it fun!" Briella protested with a pout.

"Behave yourself. And spray him good if he agrees to play such a game with you." Ronald said, parking the car and getting out to unstrap Briella.

The moment she was let loose, the little girl raced into the yard, making a beeline for her water gun with Soul in tow. Ciel, sensing a disturbance, opened his eyes to see his grand niece racing at him with an evil smirk, spraying water.

He scrambled up, tearing through the garden as the toddler chased after him.

"Briella!" Ronald sighed, giving up and letting Kai free as well, "Go and make sure your sister doesn't get herself into too much trouble for mommy, hmm?" he asked, setting him down. Kai nodded and took off after his sister and Ciel, leaving Ronald alone with his parents. "So did you have a relaxing week?"

"Oh yes," Eric purred, pulling his husband into his arms with a smirk, dipping him into a deep kiss. "A very lovely week, righ' honey?"

Alan kissed him back, but as soon as their lips parted again, he straitened up, "Vacations over, Eric. Keep that in mind before you get us into trouble at work."

Ronald snickered, "Or at least wait until you are in your own room…"

"Hmmmm, I like the bedroom idea more" the Scotsman all but purred, hoisting his husband into his arms, carrying him into the house like a newlywed bride.

"Slingby! Put me down! You had bedroom time this morning before the flight!" Alan protested.

"Mum! I didn't need to know that!" Ronald gasped, following them in with their bags.

Eric ignored him, carrying him into their room, planting a passionate kiss onto his lips, well aware that their son was in plain sight.

"Ewwww, Grandpa, you're gonna get cooties!" Kai made a face, wandering past into his parent's bedroom to see his father.

"More like Grandpa is going to give me cooties." Alan teased, wiggling until he was finally set down.

Eric snorted and laughed, wrapping his arms around the brunet in a comforting embrace, nuzzling into his neck, stubble tickling his skin.

"'M thinkin' of dyin' m' hair ta brown" he mused out loud, rest his chin on his husband's head.

"What? Why?" Alan turned in Eric's arms and looked up at him. When they had first met, Eric had all brown hair, but after a while, he had let it grow out to his natural dark blond color, "I like your hair…"

"I think it would look nice" he shrugged. "I haven' had a change 'n hairstyle since after I met you." He smiled fondly at the brunet.

"Seems kind of random…" Alan muttered, pulling away and taking his bag from Ronald.

Ronald handed Eric his bag, "I think Mum just hates the idea of hair dye…remember the fit he threw when I came home with my hair like this?" he smirked, pointing to his own two-toned hair.

"Your hair is perfect without dying half of it black!" Alan pointed out.

Eric sniggered, clapping his son on the back with a grin.

"Ah, I remember tha'! Hilarious. Good job, Ronnie!" he held up his hand for a high five, though his eyes shone with a teasing light. "On second thought, maybe I'll change it ta blue~"

"Eric Slingby, don't you dare!" Alan scowled.

"Ah, 'm jokin' love" Eric chuckled, grabbing the brunet by the waist, hoisting him up to hold him at his hip like one would a toddler. He grinned. "Still, maybe light brown... I always found yer hair beautiful..." he purred, nuzzling the man's neck.

"I still like your hair as it is…" Alan pouted, wiggling off his lover's hip.

"Well, while you try to tame Dad, I'm going to go check in on Will." Ronald said, turning to go down the hall to his and William's bedroom.

Kai had wandered into his parents bedroom, finding his father still curled up in bed. Climbing onto the mattress, he wriggled under the covers, snuggling against the Reaper's back.

"Hi Daddy" he whispered. "Are you still feeling sicky?"

"Mmm... a little" William mumbled, still wrapped in the clutches of sleep, rolling over to pull his son close.

Kai hummed softly, feeling his father's warmth and security.

"Did Ruffles help?" he asked, glancing at the stuffed wolf lying close by.

"I'm sure Ruffles made all the difference in helping daddy feel better." Ronald smiled, walking in and sitting on the edge of the bed, feeling William's forehead You don't feel as hot as you did before we left…that's a good thing…" he leaned down and kissed Will's cheek.

"I don't feel as nauseated either... Hopefully I can go in tomorrow" William murmured, cracking open an eyes to gaze tiredly at his husband. "I trust the ride was alright, liebe?"

Mary poked her head out from the blankets, wriggling free to hop over onto Ronald's lap.

Ron stroked his pet rabbit's ears gently, but frowned at William, "You are not going back in to work until I'm convinced you have made a full recovery! Working too hard is what did this to you to begin with."

William groaned slightly, pouting up at Ronald. Kai giggled, wiggling in his father's hold.

"Daddy, can we watch Beauty an' the Beast?" he chirped, grinning hopefully at the man.

William yawned, though managed to quirk an eyebrow at his son.

"Again? We watched it last night though" he said.

"I know. But it reminds me of grandma and grandpa! Grandma's the pretty princess, an' grandpa's the smelly ol' beast!"

From downstairs, a Scottish accented voice shouted.

"I ain' no smelly o' best! Tha's yer aunt Grell!"

Ronald laughed, "Try that again after you get a shower, Pa!"

Briella ran up the steps, dripping with water, but still holding her empty water gun. From the looks of it, she had run out of amo, and Ciel had grabbed the hose. "I say we watch Mulan!"

"Briella! You are making a huge mess… go dry off before you hop into my bed with daddy!" Ronald said, catching her before she hopped up onto the bed.

"But Moooom!"

"No buts! No water in the bed!"

"Nevermind, I wanna watch the Little Mermaid! Ariel sings so pwetty" Kai giggled, earning a smile from his father. "I wanna be like her someday!"

"But Mulan kicks all the boys' butts and saveses China! Grandpa says she's a 'badass' and I wanna be like her!" Briella chirped.

"You need to stop picking up on Grandpa's ways of talking...it's not lady-like." Ron sighed. He and William—and Alan had all had talks to Eric about his language, but the man was stubborn.

_"Ain' nothin' wrong with a wee bit o' cussin'_" he'd reply every single time the topic was brought up.

"Ariel sings better! Someday, I'm gonna sing like her!" Kai retorted in stubborness, an obvious trait gained from Grandma.

"And then you'll smell like fish like her too, and no one will want to be around you!" Briella said, sticking her tongue out at her brother.

"Hey, now… no fighting, you two."

Kai choose not to answer, instead turning and burying his face into his father's chest. William patted his back sleepily, moving in attempt to sit up.

"Alright, now go dry off, Briella."

"But muuuum! These are my last dry pants!"

"Then wear that nice new dress Auntie Grell gave you the other day."

The little girl wrinkled her nose, "I don' wanna!"

"But it's pwetty!" Kai said.

"You can have it! I hate dresses! I'd rather go naked!"

"That's what Ciel said last week, 'member?" her brother sniggered, recalling the event approximately a fortnight prior, in which the former Earl had almost been forced into a ball gown by his adoptive mother.

"I don't blame him! That thing was pink and flowery!"

"It was pretty! I wish Auntie Grell would make things like that for me!" Kai sighed, rolling onto his back. "I think Daddy's falling asweep again..."

William merely grunted in response.

"Daddy's sick. He needs sleep…" Briella said, grabbing her brother's wrist, "Come on! Lets go play dress up!" she pulled him off the bed and ran to her room.

William sighed softly, reaching out to pull Ronald down beside him, wrapping him up in a warm hug.

"Mmm... They take after you for sure..." he purred, nuzzling into the mop of blond hair.

"Nah, they are way more well behaved than I was." Ron snickered, leaning in to kiss his husband, "Remember our wedding..? Briella threw the flower peddles into the river…"

"They were five months old, adorable little babies" William replied, smiling at Ronald. "Now, don't blame me if you get sick."

"If I get sick then I don't have to go to work either." Ronald snickered, "I already sleep with you…a kiss or two isn't going to do much."

"But we are understaffed as it is, and..." he paused for a moment, pecking the blond on the nose. "Who will keep me company all those long work hours?"

"Hmm? Are you telling me that having me for six years has ruined your ability to work without a lover to bother you at some point during work hours?"

"Not at all, darling. But it has made it less lonely" the man admitted.

"If I get sick…I'll be waiting for you to get home every day." He smiled, "And I could still call you."

"Mmm... or we both get sick and spend some time together at home, liebe?" William chuckled, trailing a hand sneakily down the blond's back.

"Send the kids out with Great-grandpa?" he smiled, wiggling closer.

You read my mind like a book" William grinned like a Cheshire cat, pulling the blond into a heated kiss.

"You know…" Ronald pushed Will onto his back and straddled him, "We don't both have to be sick to send the twins out for ice cream with my grandfather…" he leaned in and kissed him.

William smiled slyly, flopping back against the pillows. His face, already flushed from the fever, glowed with a new seductive light; he cleared his throat.

"Mr. Knox, you have delayed progress with your work and activities - how do you plan to... rectify this?" he ended with a purr, using his authoritive tone of voice to lure the blond in.

"Will! Don't use that tone like that! You know what always happens when you do!" Ron protested, even as he leaned in and started pressing kisses along his lover's exposed neck.

"Ahhh... And what - ngh - prey tell, is t-that, liebe?" William groaned, tilting his head to expose more skin, his breathing turning fast and labored. "Oh, my darling... There, right there!"

Ron smiled and suckled on the sensitive spot on his lover's neck, his hands moving up under his loose night shirt.

William gasped, his back arching slightly, a rather not-so-silent moan escaping from the depths of his throat. Grasping the sheets, he shivered, closing his eyes in the heat of the moment.

"Mmm…Will…" Ronald pulled back and removed his shirt before going back to draw out more sounds of pleasure from his lover.

William whined as more kisses were trailed down his bare chest, stopping just prior to the waistline. He whimpered, giving his love a pouting look, shivering in ecstasy.

The door swung open.

"'Ey, Ronnie, jus' bringin' up some of yer pan- OH SCYTHE!" The moment he caught sight of the couple in bed, Eric dropped the load of laundry he was carrying, shielding his eyes in horror.

Ronald froze, his face going red, "D-Dad! Don't you knock?!"

"Oh Scythe... Oh geez... Lock yer door next time, dammit!" The older blond exclaimed, staggering out of the room, retching.

"Not like you and mom lock yours!" Ron countered.

"What is all this yelling about?" Alan asked, walking up the stares, looking at Eric.

Eric merely shook his head, throwing his hands up in the air, making an odd noise, and stalking off down the hall. It did not help matters that William remained in the same state, flustered and relaxed.

The brunet sighed and walked past his son's room, pausing as he glanced in. A hard look stiffened his face, and he stared pointedly at William as if in warning before he continued on his way.

William felt a shiver run down his spine, feeling the essence of the unsaid threat aimed at his person. Glancing up at Ronald, he pawed at the man's shirt, whining softly.

"Hmm?" Ronald raised his gaze to meet his husbands, "You always tell me it's my job to be the cute one…are you aware of just how cute you are being right now, Will?" he teased.

The Reaper tilted his head to the side, blinking with an innocent look at the blond. He mewled softly, throwing him at pouting glance, begging for love.

Ronald smirked and kissed his lips before going over to the door to close and lock it, "You had better have a condom…" he purred, joining his lover on the bed once more.

William merely slunk down further on the bed, smiling up at his love with a lustful flush tainting his cheeks. He shivered, reaching up to grab a fistful of his lover's shirt, want evident in his eyes.

"Please..." was all he whispered.


	3. The Mission that Changes Everything

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 3**

Late one evening, a sharp knock rapped on Eric's office door before it swung open and the reaper temporarily taking William's place in his sick leave strolled in. he held out a file, "Sorry to bother you, but You have new orders. You are to head an investigation in area 628 outside London's city limits." He said, getting strait to the point, "For weeks now, there have been many reapers falling ill, including our normal supervisor William Spears, after traveling to the area to collect souls, each resulting in a failed collection, and our department growing dangerously understaffed. The Higher had ordered an investigation starting tonight, and you are the most skilled and experienced reaper left in our department. I suggest you take caution before you travel there. We can't have you falling ill, as well." He adjusted his glasses.

Eric had been working on a pile of overdue paperwork when the other Reaper had entered his office. Glancing up, he raised an eyebrow at the file lying on his desk, then at the man before him.

"Illness from this one area?" he questioned, picking up the folder, proceeding to skim through it's contents. "An' yer certain it ain' coincidence?"

"You're old enough to know that reapers don't simply drop ill, and when it happens, it's never this many. Nine of our men have gotten ill, all of them recently having gone to this area. Doctors agree…this isn't natural…and they can't put their finger on what the sickness is. You'll be working with Doctor Greene on this. She's the one investigating the medical side of things. So far it seems this sickness isn't fatal to our kind, as they get better after a week or two, but finding the cause is key to preventing it in the first place."

Eric adjusted his glasses, letting out a weary sigh, spinning his chair to the side. He flipped through the documents, memorizing the location and times of missing souls in the area. All seemed to be rather recent, including the illness - still, it was rather unnerving; for something to happen in such a frequency, Eric found the situation dodgy.

"Dammit, fine. I'll see wha' I can do about it... but I'm reaping the culprit's ass m'self if I come back permanently covered 'n hives 'r somethin'!"

"That's why I ask you to be careful…protect yourself."

"I know, will do" Eric grumbled, waving the concern off without thought. "Anyone else on the case?"

"Just you. We don't wish to risk too many of our men. You understand, of course."

"Of course" the blond replied with a nod.

To be truthful, he was relieved that no one else was joining him. He didn't want to risk the health of his colleges, preferably his husband or son. Ronald, while a more experienced Reaper nowadays, was still young and unequipped to handle these situations. Alan, he would never risk out in the field during an incident like this - a bout of strange illness was the last thing the man needed on top of the Thorns.

Standing up, he collected his papers, dusting his pants off.

"When do I start?" he inquired, glancing at the temporary supervisor.

"Tonight, if possible." The reaper said, walking to the door, "I have had your normal daily work transferred to other reapers while you are investigating, so don't worry about that."

"Wouldn' plan on it." the man grunted, tucking the papers loosely away into his bag, mentally sniggering at the mere image of Grell's face the moment he realized overtime was knocking on his desk. "'Ey, hang on a momen'..."

Reaching back into his bag, he whipped out a small stapled bundle of papers, the writing on top scrawled and messy, as if someone had tried to fledge a toddler's scribbles in pen. Moving past the other Reaper, the Scottsman shoved them into his hands, ignoring the received look of bewilderment.

"Give tha' ta Sutcliff, an' tell 'im..." he paused at the door, giving one last lazy salute. "It's a 'present fer las' week'..."

With a laugh, he exited the office, destination set on returning home. Dinner was already on the table when he arrived, a smiled doting his face at the sight of Alan trying to get Briella to eat her peas and carrots. Undertaker cackled, casually sneaking some onto her plate when she wasn't looking.

"I don't like booger-balls!" She grumbled, wrinkling her nose and turning her face away from the forkful of peas.

"They're peas, and they are good for you." Alan said, trying again.

"They look like balls of booger!"

"Like Grandpa's booger's?" Eric sniggered, sauntering into the kitchen, setting his bag on the counter.

"'I Gwampah!" Kai greeted through a mouthful of meatloaf, tapping his fork on the plate.

"'Ey wee pup! How are ya?" the blond grinned, ruffling the boy's hair before doing the same to his unsuspecting son, finishing off with a swift kiss to his husband's cheek. "I gotta eat an' run."

Alan had been about to welcome his lover home, when he stopped, frowning, "What did you do to get double overtime this time, Slingby?"

"Ain' done nothin'" the man stated, slipping off his coat, hanging it on the edge of his chair next to Alan as he slid into the seat. "Got assigned takeover o' the 'Flu Bug' case."

"Why? Why you?" Ronald asked suddenly. After William had gotten sick, he'd kept a close ear on anything related to the strange sicknesses reapers were getting. He didn't like the idea of his father getting ill, too.

Eric shrugged, digging into his meatloaf.

"Dunno" he grunted through a mouthful. "'M one o' the most experienced Reapers in the Dispatch. They feel it's best if I take over fer them. 'M startin' t'night, actually, which is why I gotta eat an' go..."

"I'll help you, Grandpa!" Briella announced.

"The only mission you are going on is the mission to eat all your peas, young lady." Ronald said.

"Maybe when yer older, lass." Eric chuckled, ruffling the girl's hair.

"Kai, stop sneaking your peas onto Grell's plate" William rasped, not looking up from his bowl of soup, wrapped up in a blanket.

Kai pouted slightly, retracting his fork, throwing the redhead a sheepish grin.

"Fer someone who's supposed ta be gettin' better, ya sure dun look it." Eric remarked; was the illness worse than expected?

"May I remind you that I had to go out into the area more than once?" William croaked, rolling his eyes with a sniff from his reddened nose.

"I'm rather interested by all this... Sounds like something up my alley" Ciel interjected. "Perhaps I could be of assistance?"

"I as well" Undertaker giggled. "A little investigating could do some good for these old bones."

"You little brat!" Grell teased, "I'll teach you for trying to make me eat your snot-balls!" he lunged in, pulling Kai off his chair and into his lap, tickling him when he caught Kai in the act.

"We don't need the whole family sick!" Ronald protested, "It's bad enough Will's stuck in bed all day!"

Kai squealed, trying to wiggle away from his aunt. "Grelly, stop it!" he laughed. "You like eating snot!"

"But I'm a demon! I think I'll be alright if it only affects Reapers." Ciel protested. "Besides, I haven't had a case to investigate in over a hundred years, right Mum?"

"We don't know if it affects just reapers or not. It might get you sick as well." Grell said simply, still tickling Kai, "And Unnie, darling, if you go and get yourself sick intentionally, I'll not be wearing that nurse outfit you like so much, for you!"

Undertaker's grin never faltered, reaching over to tickle his lover's side. "Come, come, my dear, can an old man not dream, love?" he giggled.

Ciel pouted, moving off his chair to climb into his father's lap, giving his mother a puppy dog look. Kai, meanwhile, started to whine, hiccuping slightly.

"Grell, put 'im down before 'e spews" Eric grunted, his cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk.

"Fine, fine, but eat your own snot-balls!" Grell set Kai down, "And you know that look doesn't work on me, Ciel."

"But...Mama..." Ciel whimpered, looking at his father instead.

Kai hiccuped again, looking rather dizzy, staring down at his plate before attempting to pick up his fork. Briella sniggered, flicking her peas at him.

"No buts!" Grell said.

"No throwing food." Ronald said, stopping his daughter.

"Its not food! Its boogers!"

"Mommy... can I go lie down for a little bit?" Kai mumbled, setting his fork down to cuddle into his father.

Eric set his own cutlery down, rising from his seat.

"Gotta go, I should be back sometime t'morrow night if 'm lucky" he announced, moving in to kiss Alan on the lips.

"Eat your peas and you may go do whatever you want, Kai." Ronald said, looking up at his father, "Be careful, dad."

"Call if you're late." Alan said, allowing him a kiss before he left.

"Will do" Eric smirked with a salute, pulling his coat on as he rushed out the door.

-x-

The portal to London was a short trip, but arrival made the Scottish Reaper wish he'd brought an umbrella. Rain poured down in buckets, soaking him to the bone in a matter of minutes, trickling down the lens of his blue tinted glasses. He cursed, hurrying up the sodden streets, glancing briefly at the mission statement.

Pedestrians hurried all around Eric, hiding under umbrellas as they ran to find shelter in their destination.

"Oh don't go starting that story again, Marith! You watch too many horror films!" a voice drifted to Eric's ears.

"But it's true! I was in the woods with Samantha and we saw it!"

"It was dark out and you two were drunk and making out."

"But it was there! A big hairy monster! Like a werewolf!"

"Bah, it was likely just a bear. Stop freaking out so much…" the voices faded away as the group of school girls turned the corner and disappeared.

Eric snorted, turning in the direction towards the very woods the young ladies had been discussing, brushing the story off like water on a duck's back. Stepping into the forest, he inhaled the earthy air and regretted it.

His nose twinged, the ugly scent of mandrake dusting his nostrils. He sneezed, swearing under his breath - he'd forgotten about the certain kinds of botany that lingered in these parts. A perfect recipe for his allergies to start up.

Cursing and snuffling, he forced himself to venture onward, not even close to letting a tiny bout of hayfever halt his progress.

Eric stumbled about the woods, tripping over tree roots and the occasional low growing branch; evidently, not many had been in this area for a long time, at least not mortals. Reapers tended to travel higher above the undergrowth, gliding from tree to tree as a means of faster transportation.

But prior to his departure, the supervisor had warned him to stray away from such habits. It appeared, oddly enough, that the other men previously on the case had gotten sick faster by rising to higher altitudes in the forest - naturally, the assumption arose that such a connection was possible. Thus resorting the blond with traveling low and stealthy.

He swore loudly a couple of times, sending birds scattering above the trees, sneezing in a fit every couple of minutes. Yet after hours of trekking through muddy ferns and pointed pine branches, the man finally came upon a small ravine in the center of the glen.

"Scythe dammit, they finally cleared the fuckin' path!" He snarled, snuffling pathetically; by this time, his eyes were watering and his nose a light shade of red.

Taking off his glasses, he rubbing his sore eyes gingering, pausing as a twig snapped from across the ravine. He raised an eyebrow, remaining still as the sound of something large approaching rustled in the ferns. He narrowed his eyes, reaching for his scythe - the stories of the werewolf echoed faintly in his mind, but he paid them no heed.

Perhaps there was a bear after all.

A low growl echoed around Eric, and the unseen creature circled the reaper, drool dripping from large fang-like teeth, dark eyes narrowing in as it surveyed its prey. And then, it attacked, roaring out as it sprang from the brush, claws outstretched as it came down on the blond.

Eric swore, tackled by the unseen force, feeling the creature's reeking breath on the nape of his neck. Twisting underneath the body, he struggled to throw the beast off, rolling over to grab at what seemed to be a large furry muzzle, just in time to stop the animal from tearing his throat out. Using his feet and legs, he threw it off a couple of feet, managing to grab his scythe before scrambling back, panting as he got a first full glance at the monster.

A large, almost too muscular feline-like beast, akin to a lion, furry mane and a two-foot long tail. Yet, it seemed mutant, almost chimera; forelegs held like arms, able to stand (so it seemed) on two legs, paws resembling the once appearance of human hands. Truly, a hideous creature to be hold.

"Wha' the 'ell...?" he breathed.

The creature roared again running around to get behind Eric, its muscles rippling in the dimming evening light. Snarling, it sprang in for another attack, its claws ripping across Eric's chest as it bowled the reaper over to the ground, the force knocking the glasses from his face.

Eric snarled, wincing in pain as the sharp claws dug into his flesh, spraying blood like paint over the forest floor. Landing rough on his back, he coughed as the wind was knocked out of him, vision suddenly blurred by lack of spectacles. He panted, unable to see where his attacker was coming from, his scythe having gone flying the moment he was hit. Scrambling across the forest floor, he fumbled hastily for his glasses - without them, he was virtually blind, and more over royally screwed.

Strong jaws clamped down on his leg, yanking him back across the dirt, dragging him out of the clearing and into the thicket.

Eric yelled out in pain, feeling a couple of bones snap from the lion's strong jaws. He hissed, his breath yanked from his as he was pulled into the thicket. Rolling onto his back, he aimed a kick at the monster's face, hitting it square in the nose.

The creature yelped in pain, dropping Eric and shaking its head, then swatted at Eric. Eric somehow managed to dodge the attack, wincing as the wound his leg burned.

The creature seemed to purr out another growl, stooping over Eric and lowering himself, its jaws opening as it aimed for his neck, and then stopped, its head tilting as a howl broke through the silence. It raised its head and looked back towards the sound. It came again and in a flash, the feline disappeared into the forest.

Eric coughed heavily, blood spilling from the wound on his chest and leg, bones crackling from the impact of his fall. He struggled to sit upright, groaning softly in pain.

"Dammit..." he hissed, eyes watering slightly.

A cold chill ran up his spine, chest constricting slightly. He gasped, trembling slightly, eyes widening as sweat trickled down his clammy skin like rainwater. A silver light shone upon the forest, the shaking man turning to come full force with the face of the full moon.

He screamed, dropping to the ground as a sharp pain ripped through his body, starting at his chest. His heart hammered, almost as if it were to come bursting from his chest, head pounding as his mind fogged and blanked over. Bones shifted, muscles pulsated and bugled. Eric panted, struggling to maintain control, stay awake, but all in vain; his strength gave out, mind closing and vision turning to black as he lost consciousness.


	4. Lost and Found

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 4**

Alan paced outside the temporary supervisor's office, waiting to be let in. Three days…it had been three days without word from Eric, not so much as a text. He's tried calling Eric, and the first few times the phone simply rang until the voicemail picked up…and then, it acted as if the battery was dead—or the phone was turned off. It didn't take Alan long to grow worried, he always worried for his family, and Eric's disappearance set him off quickly.

But he wasn't one to act rashly like his lover—and even his son would. No, he'd do things properly, which led him to speak to the man who had given Eric the investigation…once he was able to get in, that was.

The office door opened with a click, the supervisor stepping out, a look of surprise filtering across his face at the sight of the small Reaper standing in waiting.

"Mr. Humphries? Is there anything you need?" he asked, adjusting his glasses slightly.

"I wish to speak with you, sir." He nodded, "Might I have a moment of your time?"

"Of course, though quickly if you may. The Higher Ups are visiting in about an hour, and I must start inspections" the man nodded, beckoning the brunet into his office. "Now then, what seems to be the issue?"

"Eric…" Alan looked the man in the eye, "I haven't heard from him in three days after he left home to start his investigation. His phone is off and I'm getting worried."

"Ah, Slingby... We have become concerned as well for his lack of communication. He set out last Monday and we have not heard a word from him since - I fear something may have happened. But I have already sent out search response teams and none of them have found traces, aside from his discarded glasses and scythe... it is very worrisome in truth. All we can hope for is some more news soon - I'll let you know if anything comes up."

"His glasses? Scythe?" Alan turned on the man, leaning over his desk, "Why didn't you contact me! He's my husband! I have a right to be the first to know these things!"

"Our apologies, Mr. Humphries, but it was disencouraged to contact anyone outside the investigation until Mr. Slingby is found." the man stated calmly. "Now, if that will be all, I am afraid I must begin inspections."

Alan moved into the man's path, a serious look on his face, "I request to have my name added to the search party for him!"

The man was about to protest, about to deny the request, but then stopped, seeing the other Reaper's determination. Alan Humphries was the husband of Eric Slingby, and another party member wouldn't hurt, he supposed.

"Very well. I will see what I can do."

Alan nodded in thanks, "Thank you, sir." Relaxing slightly, he let the man pass and followed him out of the office, hoping he would find Eric safe and bring him home.

-x-

Meanwhile, at the edge of a small creek a mile or so outside London, Eric Slingby was finally coming too. Groaning softly, he slowly opened his eyes, yelping as the bright afternoon sunlight blinded his vision.

He felt like shit, head pounding and body aching in several places. His leg and chest burned with an unseen fire, the wounds in need of cleaning and dressing - hell, he somehow managed to acquire a few new cuts and bruises along his face, arms and legs, his clothes tattered and turned to shreds. Sitting up painfully, he took a gander at his surroundings; a small countryside creek, surrounded by grassy moors and fields, not a spec of London in sight.

He raised an eyebrow; how the hell did he manage to end up all the way out here?

He clutched his head, hissing at his headache; more over, what hell had happened last night? He tried to think back, but for some reason could not remember anything past being bowled over by a bear or something - was he dragged out this far by the animal?

A twig snapped, catching the reaper's attention, though looking around, he saw nothing but a blur of colors, and a moment later, the sound of a voice called out, footsteps, and a dark figure wan over to him. Soon, hands gently touched him and slowly turned him over.

"Slingby…can you hear me?" The voice asked, and soon, more faceless reapers gathered around him before…

"Eric!" Alan's soft but panicked voice cried out, and in a moment, the small brunet was at his side, his gloved hands checking over his gnarly wounds, "Oh Rhea…What happened to you?"

Eric moaned in pain, glancing around nervously as voices filter around him, feeling oddly cornered and confined. Yet, hearing the soft melodic voice of his husband, he perked up slightly, turning his head to stare at the man's blurry face.

"Alan? Is tha' you?" he rasped, throat dry and sore.

"Who else would I be?" he asked, leaning in to kiss his cheek, "I was so worried, Eric…"

"I dun... dun remember... wha' happened..." he rasped, shivering with a sneeze. "Dammit!"

He'd forgotten about his allergies, his nose stinging from the constant fit's he'd been having the night before.

"G-Got attacked by...by a bear...dragged me ou' 'ere, I think..." he wheezed, flopping back down tiredly and rolling over to snuggle into Alan's lap, hands curled to resemble paws almost like a kitten.

"A bear?" a reaper frowned, "This looks more like a demon attack…"

"Four days being missing, too." Another reaper nodded .

"Come on, lets get him to the medical ward." A third man said, helping them pick him up.

"I-I dun remember..." Eric stammered, wincing as he was pulled off the ground. "Ouch! Careful, that hurts!"

"We have to move you somehow. Man up, Slingby." One of the reapers shrugged, helping to move him back to the nearest portal back to the Reaper realm.

Eric coughed and hacked, blood splurting from his mouth, spraying a couple of Reapers in the face. He winced at the irony taste, hiccuping as his body swayed unsteadily.

The reapers and Alan rushed Eric to the infirmary, checking him in, and watching as the medical reapers took him back right away to be treated. Alan followed, never letting go of his lover's hand.

Eric squeezed it gently, though more for Alan's sake than his - he was just plain out confused, dazed, and tired. The doctors rushed into the emergency room, examining his wounds, concluding that the blond must have had an unfortunate run in with a demon. Still, Eric could not help but feel off by the whole situation, yet kept his mouth shut regardless.

After Eric was all stitched up and left alone in a bed, Alan sat next to him, playing with a lock of hair, "I want to know what happened to you…" he whispered.

"Wish I could tell ya... I dun remember a thin'" Eric admitted, reaching out to stroke his lover's cheek. "'M sorry I worried ya..."

He yawned loudly, lifting his head to nuzzle Alan's hand, a short almost purr-like noise escaping him.

"Well…You aren't leaving my sight after this…no more solo investigations…"

"Awwww but tha's no fun!" Eric fake whined, grinning teasingly at his lover. "I jest, sweetheart... but I dun thin' I'll wanna go alone anyways... damn bastards never told me tha' mandrake's been growing around... Fuckin' allergic ta tha' crap..."

He sneeze again, almost as if to prove a point, cussing while resting a hand to his throbbing temples.

"Migrane..."

Alan kissed his cheek, "I'll have the nurses come in to see if they can help you with that… But I know two little balls of energy who have been crying since you disappeared."

Eric sat up abruptly, cursing as his head spun. Holding onto Alan for support, he slowly lowered himself back against the cotton pillows, glancing at the brunet worriedly.

"Damn... how long was I gone fer, fer them ta start wailin'?"

They grew upset on the third night you didn't come home…Ronald's been upset as well…" he sighed and touched his cheek lovingly, "You've been missing nearly a week, Eric."

Eric swore again, sighing in irritation.

"Dammit... I really fucked this time..." he grumbled, picking at a scab on his arm. "Does 'e know I've been found?"

"I text Ronald when they were treating you—stop that!" Alan swatted him to make him stop picking at his wound, "let it heal!"

"But it itches!" Eric complained, gnawing at it with his teeth, his canines slightly sharper than before.

He yelpled, pulling away, a small puncture wound oozing a thin trail of blood down his arm.

"Well what did you expect to happen when biting a scab, idiot?" Alan scolded, "Honestly, you are as bad as a child at times…" he got up and found a bandage.

"But ya love me!" Eric grinned, another purring sound rising from his throat.

"And I have no idea what possessed me into doing so…" Alan said, bandaging the bleeding cut, "Why are you making those strange noises?"

"Wha' noises?" Eric asked, unaware of the soft, gentle hum vibrating from his throat.

Alan sighed, dropping the topic. One, because Eric often joked around in such a way, and two, because the door had opened and their grandchildren rushed in, climbing up onto the bed and clinging to Eric, followed by Ronald.

"Grandpa!" Briella sniffed, hugging him tight.

"You got boo-boos!" Kai pouted.

"A big, bad bear beat up Grandpa!" the injured Reaper pouted, lips quickly reforming into a happy smile, scooping his grandchildren into his arms for a much need TLH, otherwise dubbed by them as 'tender loving hugs'.

"Were ya good fer yer mummy?" he asked, letting them snuggling into either side of him. "Not bein' too sad fer 'im?"

"Mommy cried more than Kai!" Briella said.

"He even cuddled up with Grandma one night." Kai nodded.

"Oi, I didn't cry!" Ronald protested, messing his daughter's hair, but not denying he'd snuggled up with his mother for comfort.

"Awww, baby missed Daddy? Come 'ere, ya wee little mousey!" Eric chuckled, pulling his son into the bear hug, holding him tightly. "Ah, I'm sorry I worried ya so much... woulda come home sooner if I wasn' being busy passed out by a river..."

"I—I was comforting Mum!" Ronald denied, though he knew Eric knew he'd been worried as well, and he hugged him gently, not wanting to upset his fathers' injuries.

Eric leaned back, sighing through his nose, the purring starting up full force again.

"Granpa's funny." Briella giggled.

"Sounds like a kitty cat." Kai wiggled happily.

"I ain' no puss!" Eric pouted, making a face at Kai, who giggled and laughed up a right storm.

"Kitty, kitty, kitty!" he chanted, bouncing up and down on the bed. "Mummy, Santa came and made Grandpa a kitty cat for me!"

"That has got to be one of the strangest things you have ever said, Kai." Ronald chuckled, "And, if you don't want Kai thinking you are a cat, dad, you should stop with that strange purring sound."

"Wha' purring sound?! I ain' a cat!" Eric huffed, irritated by all the assumptions and ideas bent around him making impossible noises. "To say of which, did one of ya bring a friggin' cat in here? I swear I hear one - tha's probably wha' yer hearin'!"

"We don' have a kitty, Grandpa…only Mary and Soul…and they are home with daddy." Briella said.

Eric looked even more confused, glancing towards his beloved husband for an answer, any of all kinds. He tilted his head to the side, frowning at a strange vibrating sensation tickling his throat.

"You are making the noise, Eric." Alan shrugged, getting up, "Since you aren't alone, I'll go talk to the nurse about your headache."

Eric frowned, putting a hand against his throat, feeling the vibrations stop and the noise cease. He grimaced, glancing at the twins in astonishment.

"Guess Grandpa's gettin' rusty" he chuckled.

"I like the kitty sound!" Kai giggled, snuggling up to his grandfather, "I like kitties."

"You like all animals." Briella pointed out.

"Be nice ta animals, an' they be nice ta you!" her brother stated matter-of-factually.

"Jus' no bein' nice ta a skunk again, ya hear me Kai? We dun wanna smell stinky again, do we?" Eric said mock sternly.

"No!" Kai giggled. "But it was Mommy who made it mad!"

"I didn't touch it." Ron sighed, sitting down, "Anyway…we were worried about you, Pa…I think Grell was about to use Ciel as a bloodhound to sniff you out…"

"Tha's bad?" Eric blinked, surprised by the notion; he half expected Grell to leave him in the woods after the paperwork he left him. "Damn... Oh damn, they ain' gonna be happy with me about this one... Didnae even get close ta the soul area... Stupid mandrake allergies messed up m' senses... couldn' smell a ruddy thin'!"

"Doesn't matter. Mom complained relentlessly to the Highers about it. You've been taken off the case."

"Mmm…" Eric yawned again, feeling his eyelids droop.

"Sleepy, Grandpa?" Kai chirped, burrowing under the covers with his grandfather.

A loud snore answered him; he giggled, Briella making a face.

"Let him sleep, you two…Grandpa's been through a lot." Ronald said, reaching over to dim the lights a little.

"But he just got unlost!" Briella protested.

"We wanna make sure he don't get lost 'gain!" Kai whimpered, clinging to his grandfather for dear life.

"He wont…you know why? Because he's home safe with you two." Ron smiled at the twins.

"Yup! Don't worry, Mommy! I'll protect Grandpa!" Briella boasted, pulling out her toy scythe she had gotten for her birthday, striking a pose. "DEATH!'

"You've been hanging out with Auntie Grell too much…" Ronald chuckled.

"Have not!" she protested, sticking her tongue out in defiance before burrowing in with her brother, snuggling against her grandfather.


	5. A Drink Too Many

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 5**

Eric was forced to remain in the hospital for two entire weeks, the latter of which left him bored and restless. Multiple times, he struggled to get out of bed and walk around, only to be shoved back by the many nurses and doctors keeping him under watch.

While there was no sign of demonic taint or even illness in his body, the medical staff were still concerned for his overall health.

For the past couple of weeks, the man had begun to display what could only be described a abnormal behavior, purring and growling on the odd occasion, very much akin to an animal - it struck them as very odd to say the least, and yet they were unable to find or distinguish any diagnosis to this condition.

Yet his physical state improved, and eventually, Eric was allowed to go home with Alan on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Sitting in the car, he purred loudly, eyes half lidded in complete contentment.

Alan, though having grown used to the purr-like noise, was still concerned about it. But as he was not a medical reaper, he trusted the doctors who all said he was fine and could go home.

"The reaper who took over the investigation for you discovered the problem." The brunet stated as they drove home, "Some sort of air-born poison that targets reapers…"

Eric glanced over at him, only slightly awake from a two hour long nap, a loud yawn escaping his throat. Shifting in his seat, he winced at the sting from the wound on his chest, still healing from weeks of stitches and bandages. It, along with his leg, demonstrated the worst of the damages down - even after two weeks of hospital treatment, he was still struggling to recover.

"Wonder why I didn' smell it?" the blond murmured softly, leaning over to kiss the brunet on the cheek, tip of the tongue brushing against his skin in a gentle, loving lick.

Alan reached over, blindly pinching Eric's cheek. "Your allergies likely had everything to do with that."

"Like tha' was any better." the man grumbled, attempting to wiggle free from Alan's grip. "All I wanna do now is ruddy sleep…"

"You didn't get sick. Just mauled by a bear. Count yourself lucky!" Alan snickered, teasing his husband.

"Yeah, lucky ta' be sittin' on m' ass fer two whole weeks" Eric snorted, smirking as he poked his lover's cheek. "Betcha ya were cold without this teddy bear 'ere ta keep ya warm!"

"If you had gotten ill, you'd be out longer and you know it!" Alan said simply, "And I slept just fine after I knew you were safe."

"Awww but ya missed me, love!" he grinned. "Admit, ya missed me cuddlin' ya!"

"Of course I missed you…I married you for a reason, after all!" Alan said, "Doesn't mean I didn't have an easier time falling asleep without you there trying to start things in the middle of the night."

Eric stuck his tongue out childishly, glancing out the window at the landscape moving past at breakneck speed.

Alan's hand slid down, taking Eric's and giving it a squeeze, "I'm glad you are coming home, though…"

"Same 'ere... I missed ya, love" he pecked the brunet on the cheek, squeezing the hand holding his in return.

He would never say it out loud, but he knew well enough that Alan was fine without him; it was he himself who needed the smaller Reaper.

Alan slowed the car and turned into their driveway, turning off the engine. "We have some time alone…the twins are at school and William's well enough to return to work for a few hours…Father's tending to a funeral…and I believe Ciel mentioned he wanted to do some things in Mortal London for a while…" he got out and walked around to Eric's door, opening it.

Eric got out of the car unsteadily, supported by the use of a temporary cane. The man shivered, feeling the nipping chill of fall, pulling his jacket further around him.

"Mmm... I may need a cuddle in bed, if ya wish ta join me." he winked, hobbling limply to the house.

"Just a cuddle. Doctor said you need to relax." Alan said helping to guide his husband into the house and up to their room. "And if you be a good boy, maybe we can do more once you've healed up enough." He smiled, giving the man something to look forward to…and that would hopefully help the man behave and follow the doctor's orders.

Eric purred happily, nuzzling the man's neck affectionately. Carefully lowering himself onto their bed, he pulled the brunet down into his lap, stroking the length of his back.

"Ya spoil me, love" he grinned.

"It's not every day when you are the one under doctor's orders to stay rested." Alan teased, leaning in to kiss his lips, "Let me take care of you for once."

"Mmmm... Does tha' make ya m' nurse?" Eric chuckled, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Flopping onto his side, he held the smaller man in a secure grip, peppering an array of gentle kisses along the nape of his neck, collar bone and throat.

He growled softly, inhaling his lover's fragrant scent of lilacs and Earl Grey tea, a shiver of pure lust vibrate up the vertebrates of his spine.

"No, it makes me your loving husband." Alan rolled over in Eric's arms and leaned in to kiss him a few more times, "Just tell me if you need anything, and I'll get it for you."

"Jus' a nap fer now, maybe some water later." Eric hummed, resting his forehead against the brunet's, sighing gently. "I'm a lucky man, Alan..."

"That's my boy…" Alan smiled, holding him close, "Rest up, and get back on your feet soon, my love."

Eric nodded, a loud yawn flying out of his mouth, as he settled down into the pillows.

-x-

"Hey, Dad!" Ronald ran up to his father with a big grin on his face. It had been a month since Eric's disappearance and things were finally getting back to normal. And Ronald found himself with a night off work. He grinned and draped himself over his father's broad shoulders, "Lets go out tonight…like we used to."

Eric had been busy filling out a boatload of paperwork, left over from his time off, muttered curses and swears flying out of his mouth.

"Damn ridiculous, givin' work out durin' a bloody sick leave..."

He barely paid noticed to the creak of an opening office door, nor to the sweeping sound of his son gliding into the room.

Yet upon hearing the boy speak, his face lit up, pen dropping from his fingers.

"Ya read m' mind, son." he grinned, reaching up to ruffle the blond's hair. "Gonna leave Daddy with the little monsters t'night?"

"He has overtime tonight, Grell said he'd take them…he's been wanting to for a while now…I think he wants to play dress up again…Briella may not be too happy about that." Ron chuckled.

"Can't imagine she will... Maybe she'll get 'im with the garden hose again if we're lucky" his father laughed, heaving himself up from his chair with a grunt. "Ah damn, 'm gettin' old..."

"You're not old, dad…Mum just gave you a run for your money last night…close the door all the way next time. I don't need to hear you and mum moaning and screaming all night…"

"Ahhh but wha' fun is it if ya can't scare the kids?" Eric teased, popping his back with a groan of relief. "I feel rather frisky t'night... Perhaps yer mum will be up fer 'Round Five'."

"What part of 'I don't want to know about my parent's sex life' don't you understand?"

"Kinda late fer tha' Ronnie, yer a result o' it." he grinned, lazily saluting a receptionist passing by, making his way to the elevator - paperwork could wait.

"That's besides the point!" Ron protested, following Eric, "My being born has nothing to do with how you bang my mom when he lets you! You don't like knowing Will and I are having sex, I don't wanna know about you and mum!"

"But yer mother an' I are jus' sounding out love fer all ta hear! Ain' nothin' wrong with a bit o' lovin'~" Eric sniggered, watching his son's face trun from red to scarlet faster than a set of traffic lights.

Reaching the lift, he slammed his hand on the button, waiting for it to rise as a seething Grell passed them, cursing on about how his chair 'mysteriously' got glue on it.

Ronald opted for the opportunity to ignore his father and address his grandfather's wife, "Grell-senpai! If Briella is pulling pranks, just make her another frilly dress. You know that punishment works best on her. She's such a tomboy."

"No good. She keeps stuffing her brother into them." The redhead muttered.

"BUT I DON'T WANNA WHERE BLACK I WANNA WHERE PINK!" Kai normally quiet voice hollered out, Briella running out after her aunt.

"AUUNNNTTTIIIEEE! KAI WON'T LISTEN TO M- HI MOMMY, HI GRANDPA!" she shouted, waving enthusiastically to her mother and grandfather.

"Are you two giving Auntie Grell a hard time?" Ronald asked, stooping down to sweep his baby girl into his arms and kissing her with a smirk.

"Nooooo" Briella drawled, trying to hide a guilty look upon her face. "Daddy said tha' Auntie Grell is gonna take us out fer ice cweam t'night!"

"'Ey, yer startin' ta sound like yer ol' Grandpa!" Eric chuckled, ruffling the girl's hair as Kai came running out into the open, clad in a frilly black dress and at least half of Grell's make up.

"Look Auntie! I'll be your pwincess!"

"Kai..?" Ronald looked down at his son. "You can't be a princess like that…black isn't your color." He smiled. The boy had always been attracted to dresses and 'girly' things, unlike his sister, and Ron intended to be a supportive mother, despite how some reapers told him that he should be encouraging both his children to conform to the gender-roles set by society. He always told them he had no right to do that as he was their mother, despite being male. The way he saw it, there was no 'gender specific' anything, and that he would encourage his children to be themselves—as long as they behaved themselves. Though controlling Briella's pranks was a bit of a chore. She was a good girl, though, and she always protected her twin brother when other kids made fun of him at school for playing with dolls rather than toy trucks.

"I told Briella that but she won' listen to me!" the boy whined, silver glitter outlining his already snow white eyelashes, making them pop out even more than usual.

The strange color contrasting his dark brown hair was another oddity that made him a target for bullying. Kids often pointed and laughed, and in less than half a year, he had become known in his class as 'Snow Lashes'.

That is, until Briella got into a fight with one of the bullies during recess.

"Well, you know Bri has no taste in dresses… she's all for the slacks." Ronald chuckled, ruffling his hair.

"Hey! I like black!" Briella huffed.

"Yes, I know, love." Ron kissed her cheek and set her down next to her brother, "Be good you two. Grandpa and I will need to get going. I'll see you later tonight. Promise."

"Awwwww... But Mommy, who will read us a bedtime stowy?" Kai pouted, as the lift arrived at floor 26 of the Dispatch building.

"Daddy might get home in time…or Great-grandpa can…"

"Great grandpa tells fun scary stories!" Briella giggled.

"I like the stowy about the Dollies" Kai chirped. "Great Grandpa said they were his personal treasures! He even said Auntie Grell had a 'face off of passion' with him that night!"

Grell blushed and wiggled, "Ah~ I was so angry with him that night, but oh how he won my heart~"

"But didn' Great Grandpa kiss yer face as a 'sorry fer hurtin' it'?" Briella chimed in.

"Oh, yes, he did~ and many other places." The redhead giggled, "That's why I forgave him~"

"EWWWWWWW!" Kai and Briella yelled, many a Reaper turning head towards the children; Eric let out a bellowing laugh

"You just wait until you are a little older! You'll understand, you little mini-peas!"

Ronald chuckled, "Don't drive Grell too crazy now, you two." He kissed each of them on the head before stepping into the lift with Eric.

"Bye-bye, Grandpa, Mama!" Kai giggled, waving them off as Briella dragged him down the hall.

Inside the lift, Eric chuckled, clapping a calloused hand upon his son's back.

"Cute wee ones... I remember when they were but growin' inside o' ya" he smiled. "Though... dun ever scare me like tha' again... Yer mother tellin' me 'e was pregnant was enough, ya tellin' me yer with twins broke m' brain."

Ronald flushed, shrugging out from under his father's touch, "And I wasn't scared? I had just lost my virginity, William had left me heartbroken, and Mum goes on to tell me I was eating like I was pregnant! Not a happy time for me, you know."

Eric pulled him back into a tight, almost protective embrace, a kiss planted on the boy's head.

"I worried fer ya when I was gone... I never felt so scared fer ya an' yer mother since the day ya were born... I love both o' ya so much. Yer my entire world."

"I know, Pa, I know." Ron smiled, hugging the older reaper tight as the lift slowed to a stop on the main floor and the doors opened.

Eric nuzzled the boy's cheek, a loud purr escaping before he let go, stepping out the lift into the main entrance.

"Dad, you need to stop acting like a cat…it's hilarious." Ronald teased as they walked through the lobby.

"I can't help it... I'm happy!" Eric protested, having grown used to, even fond, of his purring and odd habits. "Weird's yer mother out though... 'S a great tool to stop 'im from nagging me."

"Of course it weirds him out! It's creepy!" Ron opened the door an held it for two reapers walking in before stepping outside.

"Awww ya wound me!' Eric pouted, falling into an overdramatic display right in the main hallway. "Why do you not love fer who I am?"

A few rookie Reapers sniggered.

"Because you are my father and just like Mum, I know better!" Ron smirked, "Come on, Lets go get you a whisky. Mum said I can let you get drunk for once since you have been so stressed lately."

"WHOO!" the blond cheered, scrambling to his feet and thus rushing headlong out the door. "BOOOZEEE!"

Ron chuckled, rolling his eyes as he followed, "Just behave yourself. No bar fights like the last time!"

"Tha' guy was askin' fer it..." Eric grumbled, letting his son catch up. "Dun tell yer mother if I do... I can't deal with scoldin' on a migraine..."

"That guy was a drunken ass. He was about to leave me alone as soon as he realized I was a guy." Ron said.

"Still, he was askin' fer it, tryin' ta hit on m' baby!" the blond scowled, growling slightly as a couple of drunken men, already out for the night, passed them a lewd wolf whistle.

"I'm hardly a baby, dad…I have two babies of my own at home, after all… and I can take care of myself…He was human, anyway, easily evaded."

"I know, I know... I jus' still worry 'bout ya... I miss bein' yer dad..." he sighed slightly, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"You are still my dad…you always will be…just realize I'm not that three-year old hiding under the bed anymore."

Eric chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair.

"Ahhhh yer always gonna be two year ol' ta me, Ronnie" he teased, stopping in front of a local yet not so crowded pub, music and voices filtering out from the inside.

"Well, that's not going to stop me from a nice glass of scotch!" he said as he approached the bar and slipped onto a stool.

Eric collapsed into the seat next to him, a big grin plastered upon his face. Signaling to the bartender, he whistled him over.

"Oi, a pint o' whiskey fer me, an' a glass o' Scotch fer this strappin' lad 'ere!"

The bar tender got out glasses and poured them their drinks, sliding them over with a nod. Ron picked his up and brought it to his lips, turning around and leaning back against the bar as he watched people go about their own. "Hey…dad?"

"Hm?" the man grunted in acknowledgement, taking a swig from his own pint.

"You should be more careful at work…Mum worries…a lot. He's scared to loose you."

"Worried?" his father raised an eyebrow, glancing over at his son. " How so? I've been behaved..."

"But you're reckless… you are where I get it from… I know Will worries about me all the time. And you were attacked…Mum never told you, but he demanded to be put on the team to search for you…"

Eric blinked; he hadn't expected to hear the last point. "Really?"

"Yeah…but of coursed refused to let me join…I take after you so much I think he worried I'd get myself missing too…"

"Ahhhh, knowin' my genes, ya might, but..." he made a sound of consideration, "Damn... I shoulda guessed. No wonder'e was one o' the first ta find me."

Still, a cheerful smile graced his lip, a light purring rising from his chest.

"Yeah…but…be more careful…I hate seeing mom worry so much…triggering an attack aside, he looked so sad without you."

Eric froze, the rim of his glass barely skimming his lips, attention diverged directly onto the blond.

"Alan had an attack?"

"A small one…it only lasted a few minuets, but yeah…scared Kai, too…Kai was about to fall asleep in his arms….and you know the twins never witnessed it before…" Ron muttered into his glass unhappily.

Eric exhaled, the sigh melancholic, almost angry. To find out that his husband had been burdened by the Thorns in his absence, due to his absence, weighed heavy on his heart.

"'M sorry... I had no idea..."

"He didn't say anything, likely because he didn't think much of it…" Ron turned and rested his cheek on his father's shoulder in comfort, like he did when he thought his father was upset when he was a kid.

Eric just about slammed his fist into the surface of the bar, his eyes blaze an anger worse than any mortal has seen - an anger only towards himself.

"It dun matter! 'E - none o' ya - should hafta be burdened by this! Dammit!"

A couple of patrons paid him a fearful glance, muttering nervously into their shaken glasses, the bar wavering about in a disturbed fashion.

"Dad, please calm down!" Ron pleaded.

Eric's breathing slowed after another minute or so, his whole posture seeming to deflate into something more depressant, silent and guilt-ridden.

"Sorry... Forgot about m' damn temper..."

Ron frowned, and reached over, grabbing a small bowl of pretzel sticks holding it out to him. "Sorry I set it off…"

Eric waved him off, though snagging one or two pretzels from the bowl. "'S not yer fault... More mine fer lettin' my ass get handed ta me."

Ron smirked, "Maybe you are getting old. You should start training more again." He teased.

"Oh really?" Eric smirked, reaching out to tickle the blond in the side, knowing all to well the sensitivity of that particular spot. "Yer ol' man becomin' an ol' fart?"

Ronald squeaked and pulled away, almost spilling his drink in the process. "Yeah! You're what? Three hundred years old? Four?"

"'Bout Three 'undred an' a half... Ain' as old as Grell though!" Eric protested.

"He'd slap ya if he heard you talking like that." Ron smirked, "But still. Your old ad rusty to let a bear drag you off!"

"Oi, I had allergies, may I remind ya!" the older blond pouted. "Ya might wanna get yerself checked out by the way... I actually have quite a list o' thin's I react ta..."

Ron rolled his eyes, "You guys got me tested when I was a kid and had that reaction to that one plant I could never say. We know what I'm allergic to on top of the possibility I may have Thorns sitting dormant inside me…I've gotten along just fine so far."

Eric said nothing, merely downing the last of his drink, slamming the glass on the bar, "Refill" he grunted.

"…Daddy…" Ron rubbed his father's back, speaking low to comfort him, "Don't worry so much…"

Eric glanced over, pressing a light kiss to the boy's head. He smiled, drawing his arm around him, in a light hug.

"Ronnie, wha' the 'ell made ya so sweet? I swear tha's yer mother in ya... Didn' get it from me" he chuckled.

"Hey, You can be sweet sometimes." Ron grinned, "Or, at least bring me sweet things. Like when I got bit by that dog as a kid, you brought me home a treat every day until I got all healed up. Even if Mum kept saying you were letting me spoil my dinner with cakes and things."

"I felt bad fer ya... Plus tha' was m' own fault... shoulda been keepin' a better eye on ya..." he grinned in thanks towards the bartender, starting on his second glass of whiskey. "Now, no more sad tales, let's enjoy the night!"

"What d' ya mean sad? I say getting cakes, cookies, icecream and candy every day as a kid is great!" Ron grinned to cheer him up, downing the rest of his scotch and setting his glass down to be refilled.

An hour passed, then two, drinks piling up on the bar like blocks, one after another.

By his fifteenth glass, Eric Slingby was undeniably beyond intoxicated.

"'Ey, ya know wha' I dun get? Water - who th' 'ell nammeeeeddd it wa-water? Wha' kinda dumbshite name is tha'?" the blond slurred, slumping over onto his son.

"Pa, Yer drunk!" Ronald hiccupped. He was drunk, but no where near as bad as his father, "Nnn—and now I gotta piss 'cuse ya had t'go say wadder." He got up from the stool and took a moment to gain balance before swaying towards the restrooms.

"WADDDER IS FER DUMBSHITE! Th' 'eal thin' 's beer fer fuck sakes!" Eric bellowed, alarming many of the remaing customers. "Awww, wha' th' 'ell areyalookin'a'?"

He hiccuped, slumping onto the counter, glancing lazily at the digital clock on the wall—Alan was going to be pissed.

A sudden ill sensation churned in the pit of his stomach, cold ice sweeping over his veins and nerves. His muscles tensed and contracted, almost as if pulsating. He groaned, head pounding, resting half his face on the side of the bar, relishing in the cool wood as his body shivered slightly.

Something was wrong.

"Hey, handsome." A woman giggled, walking up with another female friend. Both wore dresses too tight for their bodies, and necklines cut low to show off what they had.

"Eh? Whaddya wan'... 'M tryin' ta fuckin'... sleep..." Eric mumbled, a puddle of drool steadily forming from his mouth - he felt so out of it.

"Why don't you come sleep with us? We'll keep you nice and warm. And it'll be _much_ softer than a bar." The second woman cooed, leaning in and brushing up against him almost lewdly.

"Mmmm... Al'? When didja get breasts?" the blond slurred, leaning back into the woman's embrace. "Damn, Al, I dunno wha' yer doin', but it weirds me out!"

He giggled, tipping over a tad too far; he slipped off the bar stool, falling heavily onto the floor with a thud, dragging the two women with him.

The two women gasped, but laughed it off, "Come on, big boy, we'll take you home." The first one with strawberry blond curls smiled, helping her brunet friend get Eric to his feet.

"Thank ya... Yer very kind" the man grinned, slipping his arm around the woman's waist for support.

"Don't thank us yet." The brunet smirked as they left the pub.

"'kay, Dad, I thin' we should pay our tab and head—home?" Ronald walked out a moment later, looking around for Eric and frowning when he didn't see him. "'ey, Phil!" He rushed to the bar to talk to the bar tender, "Where did my dad go?"

"Him? He left about ten minutes ago... couple of birds came by an' scooped him up. Guy was more wasted than a skunk..."

"What?" Ron pulled out his wallet, "Dad owes me some money then…" he grumbled, digging out some bills and pressing them to the counter before hurrying out.


	6. Memories

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 6**

Eric stumbled down the streets, holding onto the women for support. Drool dribbled from his mouth, eyes half lidded and glassy, his mind fogged and unclear.

"Uhhg, he better have pleanty of cash on him… this guy looks too drunk for his own good." the brunet said as they turned him down an alley towards an inn where they already had a room ready.

The sinister moon crept out from behind a lingering cloud, scattering a silver light over the vicinity of Reaper London. Eric froze, his shaking turned tenfold, collapsing to his knees.

A horrible, painful feeling overwhelmed his nerves and senses, a loud groan escaping his throat.

"Hey…what's the matter with him?" The strawberry-blonde asked, and her companion shook her head.

"Maybe…it was too much? Maybe we should take him to the hospital for alcohol poisoning?"

The blond nodded, "Alright, fine…"

Eric moaned, his eyes snapping open to reveal a deep yellow -green glow, pupils shrinking to a cat-like slit. He exhaled, canines appearing sharper than normal, all of his teeth growing pointed. A low growl sounded from his throat; the pain was intensifying - he couldn't fight it off-!

"What the-!" The girls dropped him, backing away as they watched the man transform into a monster like they were in a horror movie. They screamed and turned to flee, their heels hindering their speed.

Eric let loose a horrible roar, muscles bulging, skin stretching as clothes ripped and tore to pieces. A coating of coarse hair, almost like fur, grew out, covering his body in a thick pelt. Hair upon his head grew long, coming around his neck in a wavy mane.

His legs became quadruped proportioned, hands and feet shrinking and expanding into heavy paws as nail become sharp claws and a long fur-tipped tail sprouted from his backside.

Yet his face held the most gruesome of features, twisting and reconstructing painfully into a feline muzzle, whiskers sprouting and ears moving back and out through the man.

When it was all over, the lion roared, lunging fast and vicious after its prey, fangs bared and claws outstretched.

-x-

Ronald sighed as he fumbled with his key to let himself into the house, and shuffled in, "Dad? You bloody better be here." he grumbled once he finally got inside.

"He's not, but I am" a familiar cool voice murmured, arms wrapping around the blond's waist. "Do you have any idea how much I missed you tonight?"

"Will…" Ron turned around and snuggled into the embrace, "Iiiii got drunk and lost m' pa…he ran away when I when'ta piss…" he pouted.

"Eric?" William frowned slightly; he hadn't heard the older man come in, assuming he was still out with his son. "You mean he hasn't come back yet?"

"Nnnpe" Ron mumbled , snuggling happily in his lover's arms, "…ya smell good…"

William frowned even more so at the statement, yet brushed it off, passing it as a mere error on his drunk lover's part. Eric was probably still out drinking - it wasn't like the blond to pass up a free beer or two, and Ronald was known for wandering away from his companions when he was drunk and ready to go home.

"Come on" he hoisted the boy into his arm, carrying him over to the stairs. "Let's get you to bed."

Ron grinned, "Naked bed time?"

William sighed, but nodded with a slight smile. "Alright... Naked bed time, darling."

"I love you…" Ron mumbled, nibbling lightly on Will's ear.

"As do I, my love" William purred, lightly kissing the blond on the cheek, carrying him upstairs.

Ron smiled and forced the kiss deeper as they mounted the steps to the second floor and he was carried into their bedroom.

William moaned softly into his lover's mouth, tracing his tongue along the boy's teeth, teasing him slightly. He nudged open the door to the bedroom, pausing for a moment to take a gander; in recent days, Kai had taken to sneaking into bed with them, and he had thought to have seen the child sneaking down the hall about an hour earlier.

"Mmmh? Why y'stop?" Ron mumbled, tracing kisses along William's jaw.

"We may have a little bed bug sleeping with us tonight" William murmured, glancing over at the double bed, gently massaging his lover's head.

"But you promised naked bedtime…" The drunken young reaper whined.

"Mommy?" a sleepy voice murmured from the doorway, Kai toddling in to wrap his mother's leg into a hug.

"Kai-bugs…" Ronald sank down and hugged his son close, sitting on the floor.

Kai snuggled into his mother's embrace, wrinkling his nose at the smell of booze coming from the man in waves.

"Mommy, you smell funny!"

Ronald chuckled, "Not as funny as your grandpa."

Kai giggled, patting his mother on the cheek.

"Ewwww, Mommy has been drinking yucky stuff wif Gwandpa!"

"It's only yucky 'f y'are little!" the blond protested, peppering kisses over the boy's cheeks.

"Ewwwwwwww! Mommy, you're giving me cooties!" Kai laughed, trying to squirm away from his mother.

"Mommies don't have cooties! Jus' love for their little babies that should be in beddy-bye times."

Kai buried his face into Ronald's chest.

"I don't wanna go back to bed... Scawy monsters will eat me, an' I had a bad dream!"

"Hmmmm….one second…" Ronald crawled over to where he saw one of Briella's water guns under the bed and picked it up. He shook it to find it full of water before handing it to Kai, "Monsters who lurk in kids' bedrooms are afraid of water. That's why they don't hide in the bathroom. Just squirt them with this and they'll run away from you." He grinned.

Kai lookd at the water gun, then at his mother, biting his lip.

"But... I want Mommy to protect me! Normally Grandpa does, but he's not home!"

"Mommy's drunk…I'll likely pass out soon…"

"Kai... Do you think Grandma would protect you tonight? Mommy needs Daddy at the moment." William murmured softly to the child, reaching out to kiss his forehead.

Kai deflated, pouting slightly.

"Okay..." he mumbled, trudging from the room sadly, making his way into his grandmother's room.

"It makes me sad when my baby's sad…" Ronald mumbled, failing to pick himself up off the floor.

William hoisted him into his arms, tenderly stroking the blond's cheek with his thumb.

"He'll be fine" he soothed. "It's just a phase...We all went through it at least once."

"At least once?" Ron snickered, "Were you a baby twice?"

"The first time was when I was five... the second, right after Undertaker took me in." the man admitted.

Ron blinked, the playful, drunken smile fading, "…Oh."

William ran his fingers through the blond's hair, stroking the soft locks delicately.

"It was during a time of emotional instability for me... It happened not but the first night we arrived from Germany to London..."

-x-

_ In the depths of the Reaper city of London, a single light clicked on in the west bedroom of a simple flat._

_William sat up, shell-shocked and terrified, clinging desperately to a stuffed stag plushy, His heart hammered and his mind raced, caught up in the grasp of a rather horrifying dream._

_Warm wind floated in from the open window, though the teen remained cold and clammy; the sheets lay tangled about his body like fog, the other end of the bed baring a vacant space. It was obvious that he was not the only one troubled tonight, he assumed._

_Sliding out of bed, sweat trickling down the crease of his forehead, the dark haired youth of fifteen panted and shivered. His hair, freshly cut from months of unkempt growth, clung damp to his clammy skin, soaked in a layer of fright and shock._

_The residue of the nightmare still plaguing his mind, he bit his lip, bare feet padding across the oak floors as the teen made his way over to the master bedroom._

_"Ah, Yes, yes, my dear, I am perfectly aware of what time it is, how much of an arse I am, and that you have classes in the morning. I missed you too." Undertaker's voice drifted down the hall from the kitchen where the old reaper was sitting on a counter with a rotary phone propped in his lap, its receiver pressed to his ear under his long silver mess of hair. On the other end, an angry voice could be heard, but from William's place he couldn't make out any words. _

_"Now, now, I know you missed me, darling, you are just upset I spent more time in Germany than originally planned, but I assure you it was all for a good cause of great importance—what's that? No, no, I didn't kill anyone not on the list you passionate beauty, you~" The old reaper chuckled, amused at the other person's words, "Ah, well, you are welcome to try to kill me, but you best wait until you have finished your training. You know I wont go easy on you. Now enough chattering. I need you to come over; I have someone I wish for you to meet." He paused again, "No, please do so tonight…if you do, I'll buy you that darling red colonial outfit you spotted in the store window before I left London, hmm? Great. I'll see you when you get here—let yourself in. the door is unlocked." He hung up and looked at the doorway, smiling at William, "Oh? Did I wake you my dear?"_

_William bit his lip, nervously shaking his head. His body trembled and shook, as if plagued by cold and sickness, the stuffed animal clutched tightly to his chest as he took a step into the kitchen._

_"I-It happened again..." he hiccuped slightly, voice wavering with fear._

_Undertaker nodded and walked over, bringing the teenager into his arms, "You suffered well more than anyone should have ever suffered, William…these things do not go away easily."_

_William sniffled, snuggling warmly into the embrace, trying to ease his shaken nerves._

_The toy slowly slipped from his grasp, falling with a soft plop on the wooden floor; William bit his lip, resting his cheek against the Undertaker's chest. "I feel sick..."_

_"What kind of sick, my dear? Would you like a bucket?"_

_The boy nodded slightly, yet continued to speak. "I'm scared... I feel cold... Like my heart is going to rip out of my chest..."_

_"That is because it has been ripped out, and you are struggling to keep it…come," The reaper scooped William into his arms and carried him into the sitting room, building up the fire after setting William down on the chair, "Young man, I know it's hard—and I won't lie and tell you it'll get easier—it wont. You were abused, and your child was taken from you in the worst way because of that abuse. But over time, you will learn to accept it, learn to move on in your life—you can prove that abusive pig Hans that he was wrong about you. And something that can help you is to have friends to support you. You already have myself, of course. But I want you to meet someone. He's a bit rough, but he's the closest person to your own age here who can start to understand your pain. He's had his own rough past recently—if you two could help each other, I know you both can achieve great things in your reaper lives… will you try for me?"_

_William nodded, pushing himself up to wrap the man in another tight hug._

_"I-I vill... I am trying... B-But, can I stay with you tonight? I don't want to be alone…" he murmured softly, prior to glancing up at the man in curiosity. "Is that someone the one who is coming over?"_

_"He is. Don't mind what you overheard…he just missed me and is angry I was away longer than he originally thought I'd be…and he handles his pain a little more vocally than you. He used to be such a cute shy little thing, too…" Undertaker looked down at William, rubbing his arms in a comforting manor, "You may sleep with me again tonight if you wish, but I can't always be by your side, understand?"_

_Again, the teen nodded, looking down in slight embarrassment. He exhaled softly, glancing at the clock on the wall; 1 AM._

_The door opened, and a slim figure stepped in out of the rain, a red umbrella blocking view of the teen's face until he lowered it, shook it and closed it, setting it aside and stripping out of his coat, "Unnie! You better add nice hot tea to the deal! A loud voice announced. He had short red hair, pale, smooth skin, and the piercing eyes of a reaper behind thin wire-rimmed glasses. His teeth sharpened to points like a shark's. He stepped into the sitting room, running a gloved hand through his red locks, and looked at the handsome young man in Undertaker's arms, "And who's this?"_

_"Grell, my dear, glad you could make it! Of course, I'll get on the tea right away. This is darling William Spears. I brought him back with me from Germany and he could really use a friend. Why don't you two get acquainted while I make up the tea?" The old reaper said, getting up to go back to the kitchen._

_William fidgeted slightly in his seat, suddenly a tad shy and bashful. He glanced up at the redhead, eyes wavering over the mouth of shark-like teeth, almost wincing at the sight._

_How he wished he hadn't dropped his security stuffie back in the kitchen. The boy swallowed nervously, trying to find his voice lodged in the back of his throat._

_"G-Guten tag..."_

_"Oh, I do hope you can speak English, my German is horrible." The redhead said, walking over and flopping back into the chair opposite William, and holding out a hand, "Grell Sutcliff…and don't worry, my bark is worse than my bite. Unnie says we could be of help for each other…and while I don't see how, I trust him more than anything, so I'll try not to bark much." He offered a smile._

_"William T. Spears... and yes, I can speak English" the boy spoke, his accent almost immediately changing from a thick German to a brisk London tone._

_He took the other boy's hand, forcing a smile yet his eyes still bore the unquenched fear and nervousness._

_"S-So are you a second year, too?"_

_Grell nodded, "Yeah…I'm a year older than everyone else in the class, but I only died and became a reaper last year. So I started schooling later than all the others who were turned reaper when they were younger." The redhead explained, not fazed by the other's change in accent. He himself could do such with French._

_William blinked in surprise; only last year?_

_"So... you are sixteen, yes? I was reaped when I was 9... I've been raised in the_

_Berlin Reaper Child Care facility until about a year ago myself."_

_His eyes swiveled over to the kitchen, hearing Undertaker bustle about._

_"M-Mr. Cronus rescued me..." he paused for a moment, raising his voice to shout at the older Reaper in German. "U-Undertaker .. Did I drop Hirsch in the kitchen?"_

_"Yes, yes, fear not, he's safe and helping me with tea and cake! I'll bring him out with me." Undertaker called back._

_"Danke." the boy blushed, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. "I apologize... I am not well at the present moment..."_

_"He…saved me as well…" the redhead bit his lip lightly, "I wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for him getting my arse up and back in class…"_

_William glanced up, surprise written on his face. While he was curious about the other boy's past, he knew better than to ask._

_"If Unnie saved you…you were going through something that makes your current state understandable." Grell said, sitting back and staring into the flames in the hearth, I won't ask what it is, if you don't ask about mine."_

_William nodded, biting his lip as the memories returned. Glanced over at the mantle above the brick fireplace, he cast his sights upon an old picture frame, wrapping his arms around himself._

_**'April? Baby?! Wake up! Please... PLEASE! APRIL WAKE UP!'**_

_Undertaker swept in with a tea tray and William's comfort plushie. He set it down and handed the young reaper the stag before he set about pouring the tea, "Here, I chose a more calming tea…" he said, handing them out and nodding to the slices of cake, "Help yourself."_

_William took the toy gratefully, giving it a reassuring snuggle, smiling up at the Undertaker._

_"Danke, Mr. Cronus."_

_He took a sip from his cup, letting the heat from the tea warm him from the inside out. Already, he could feel his nerves calming ever so slightly, a sigh he had not fathomed of holding slipping from his grasp._

_"There now… have you two spoken? I do hope you can become good friends. William, you will be returning to classes in a few days, and it'll be good for you to have someone you know there." Undertaker hummed._

_William nodded, glancing back at the redhead._

_"I'll help the German boy learn his way around." Grell nodded, "He's cute enough to be seen with me." he added with a teasing grin._

_"Great." Undertaker clapped his hands, "You are also welcome to stay here as well until further notice. If there are no objections, I tend to try to get William here as your room mate at the dorms."_

_William smiled._

_"Danke." he said, curling up further into the chair with a sleepy yawn._

_His eyelids drooped, the struggle against sleep becoming harder to resist by the second._

_Undertaker sighed, "Looks like it's bed time, after all…" he scooped William into his arms like a loving parent would his child._

_William nuzzled into the man's shoulder, humming slightly in his sleep, the stag still clutched tightly in his hand as he was carried off into the older Reaper's room for the night._

-x-

William sighed softly as he finished relaying the flashback, resting his chin on his lover's head.

"Will…I'm too drunk to fully appreciate you reminiscing about a time before I was born…" Ron muttered, "I donno how I should react…"

The man chuckled softly, lifting the blond into his arms, carrying him over to their bed.

"Do not fret, my love, it is merely a memory" he reassured, setting the boy onto the mattress. "Get undressed... I will be back shortly to join you."

He moved across the room, eyes set on an old wooden trunk sitting by the window. Lifting the lid, brushing a layer of dust away, he took a peek inside, rummaging about until he managed to pull loose an old yet still in good condition stag stuffie.

Heaving himself to his feet, he shut the lid quietly, briskly walking out the door and down the hall, aiming for the bedroom resting at the end of the upper floor, belonging to his in-laws.

Pushing open the door with a creak, he stuck his head in side, watching as light danced across two shapes, one larger and one smaller, curled up in bed.

Smiling, he crept inside, gazing warmly at his son sleeping peacefully beside his grandmother. Eric, it seemed, was still out - the notion bothered the dark-haired Reaper slightly, but he passed it aside, assuming the man had either fallen on the couch or passed out in a ditch somewhere, drunk as a skunk.

Taking the stuffed animal, he settled it into his son's arms, chuckling quietly as the boy held it tightly in his sleep, snuggling into the velvet-like pelt.

"You can take care of Hirsch now." he whispered quietly, running a hand through the little boy's hair before pressing a kiss to his forehead.

Then, his part done, he turned and exited, remembering to close the door behind him.


	7. Killer

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 7**

Morning came with the slow rise of the sun over the distant horizon, spreading a golden glow over the Reaper Realm.

The bright light, however, soon became the bane of all existence, as Eric Slingby awoke to a painful headache and a freezing body. He groaned softly, clapping a hand to his head, the scent of alcohol and - oddly enough - blood making him feel nauseous.

"Where the 'ell am I...?"

Grass surrounded him on every side, the sound of flowing water trickling in his ears. The sun was high in the sky, indicating noon, as birds chirped and a herd of goats bleated from nearby.

He took a glance down at himself and started; his suit, once a whole piece of clothing, lay torn and shredded, barely hanging to his body. His hair was matted, muscles aching and throbbing, and his mind whirling. Yet, that was not the end of it; blood covered him from head to toe, and the raw taste of iron at the back of his through made him grimace and spit.

Just what the hell had happened last night?

Something poked him at the back of his mind, a sense of eeriness befalling the otherwise still air of the ravine. Something was not right, and as he shivered from anticipation, a foul scent penetrated his nostrils.

Decay, the paling scent of rotting flesh and blood, swamped his nose and mouth, sending him reeling back. He gagged, vainly attempting to shield himself from the smell, rolling over onto his side.

His heart stopped, eyes widening as his breathing took a sharper tone. Lying two feet away from where his body lay rested a severely mangled corpse. Arms and legs torn and twist, ripped open from the chest down, entrails scattered across the length of the creek.

It was horrifying in every single way; the man retched, his stomach lurching as he vomited up the remains of his last meal, disgusted by the sight.

He shuddered, coughing slightly, wincing as he caught sight of another body in a similar manner, lying not a foot away from the first.

Something about the entire scenario seemed off; he felt horrified, scared, even at little angry. But why?

The memories of the night prior came with a sudden hit to his brain…the bar, the drinking, Ronald...

He swore, remembering how the blond had wandered off to the bathrooms, leaving him alone to soak in his pain.

Why was he in pain? Had he been sick? The flashback continued, like the steady reel of a cinematic record, the two whores wandering back into his mind.

His heart seemed to start up again, beating fast, as he nervously glanced over at the two bodies lying in the sunlight - a brunet and a blond.

The women from last night.

Leaving the bar, both clinging to his arm like starving vultures.

Wandered away with him...

They stopped in an alleyway.

The blood on his hands... not his...

Then he felt as if his heart burst completely; his breathing heavy and sharp, panic overrunning as he scrambled to back away from the mess.

"No... I..."

_The light of the full moon washing over his body.  
_  
"Killed..."

_The transformation, from man to beast, a monster taking the place of the blond, as the women screamed in fright. It lunged, tearing them to shreads, ripping them apart mercilessly__ as wails and curling cries of pain filled the deadly night.  
_  
"Them..."

"No... NO NO NO!" Eric screamed, clutching his head, his mind in hysterics.

His cries caught the attention of a nearby farmer who had been out tending to his flock of goats after finding evidence that a beast—likely a wolf—had been through the area. His flock seemed to be spooked, but none were missing or injured by his count, which was of great relief to him. Wondering if the wolves had attacked a neighboring farm, he hurried along the fields until he spotted two mangled bodies—and a man. One covered in blood, but he didn't seemed to be too badly hurt.

The farmer hurried over to Eric, gagging as he passed the two women—the poor things. It looked like they hadn't stood a chance with the wolves—the man, however, had gotten lucky somehow. "You a'right?" he asked, approaching the reaper.

Eric jumped slightly, trembling at the sight the man, complete gibberish sputtering from his mouth. To the farmer's eyes, it was obvious the Reaper was in a state of shock.

The farmer frowned and looked around, rubbing the back of his neck, "Well, seems to me there is not much I can do for your companions…but you I can… C'm 'ear. I'll send for help for these two when we get you inside and clean you up…" the man bent down to help the reaper.

Eric hesitated, fear and worry evident in his eyes. He back away slightly, struggling to find his voice - yet, the harder he tried, nothing came out.

"Come now, I won't hurt you…I'm a farmer, not a wolf." The man teased, "The name's Philip Merson."

"E-Eric Slingby" the Scottish Reaper finally managed, swallowing against the lump in his throuat, accepting the man's hand. "W-Where am I?"

"Just a short twenty minuets outside London." The farmer said, pulling Eric to his feet, "Are ya hurt?"

Eric shook his head, wincing ever so slightly. "No... Jus' sore, I think..." he said shakily. "Shit... I need to get back... M' family's probably shit themselves with worry."

"MobilePhones don't work out here, but we got a land-line at the house you can use after I call the authorities. It's obvious it was a wolf attack, but I'm sure they'd want to question you as you are a survivor…maybe get looked at by a doctor…if you got bit the wolf could have been rabid…"

The mere suggestion made the blond's blood freeze over. He knew by all means that there was no wolf, this was no accident, and who the real culprit was - not to mention, the trouble he'd be in if the Higher Ups found him meddling with 'human affairs'. "No, I can't stay... Give m' word ta the cops, but I have ta leave - m' family needs me..."

"Come, now, I'm sure your wife will understand. It'd likely be things like what you were doing out 'ere last night and if you saw the wolf."

"I dun remember anythin' though... Jus' wakin' up 'ere..." the blond shook his head, knowing better than to tell any form of the truth. "Please, m' husband's very sick! Any worry could do 'im serious harm!"

The man hesitated, "Husband…my mistake…" he sighed, "Tell ya what…leave me a number to give to the police should they need to speak to you and I'll have my daughter drive ya back."

Eric hesitated, but nodded; it was his best bet, and he could always have the girl drop him off right outside London, claiming to live close by.

"Do ya have a piece o' paper?"

"At the house." The man nodded, "I know y'are worried, but this is the best we can do for ya." He helped Eric back to his small farmhouse and let him into bathroom, "Get cleaned up, I'll grab something for ya to wear, and then you can call your husband. In the meantime I'll get the authorities over to the attack site, and get my daughter out of her books." He said, closing the door, "I'll leave the clothes outside the door for ya."

Eric nodded in thanks, slipping into the bathroom and locking the door shut. He slid off the remains of his shirt, staring dully at his blood covered chest. Over and over again, the memory of his slaughtering replayed in his mind - it was just like a century ago, when he had been slaying to save Alan from his unavoidable fate with the Thorns. Only this time, he wasn't killing with reason.

After a few minuets passed by, and Eric had cleaned the blood away, the farmer knocked on the bathroom door, "The phone's free for you to call ahead to your husband so he can stop worrying about you so much. My daughter is also bringing the car around for you."

Eric nodded his thanks, stepping out of the bathroom with a clean white T-shirt and a loose pair of jeans.

Moving over to where the farmer had gestured, he picked the phone up from the cradle, pressing the number to Alan's mobile phone.

Hearing it ring, he waited a moment before speaking.

"Al?"

"Eric! Where the Hell are you?" Alan's voice scolded, "We have been looking everywhere for you and our son has been going mad with guilt for loosing you! Do you have any idea how I felt when I woke up with only Kai in the bed with me? You weren't even passed out on the couch like you sometimes do when you get too drunk to handle the stairs!"

The blond winced, knowing all too well the trouble he was in.

"Sorry, sweetheart... I had a rough night... Woke up by a ravine jus' twenty minutes ago. I'm comin' home now, hitchin' a ride back ta 'London'. 'M really sorry, love!"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Alan replied, "What do you mean you just woke up by a ravine?"

Eric swallowed, biting his lip nervously - he couldn't just tell Alan that he mauled and murdered to innocent women, all without any control or knowing.

There was also the concern that Reaper kind in general held a stigma against other 'lesser breeds', were-creatures included, often for their brutal violence and savagery.

No, he could not - would not - let anyone know about this... not even his family. He couldn't loose them, not now, not then, never again - once had been horrible enough.

"I dun have any memory aside from leavin' the bar... I woke up by a ravine a righ' mess..."

"Ron said you left before him while he was in the men's room…How could you get so drunk that you'd not only not remember the night before and wake up who-knows where…but also leave your son behind! Honestly, Eric. What am I to think of you? Just—just get back home. You're in trouble with William, too. He's covering your shift for you."

Eric cringed, already not looking forward to the lecture and overtime he would have to face for his consequences. "I'll be home soon..." he murmured softly, hanging up the phone with a sigh.

The drive back was a quiet, almost eerily tense one, Eric said naught but a word to the girl chauffeuring him to the edge of London, stopping right outside a small coffee shop.

"I'll be fine from 'ere... m' place is only a couple o' doors down." he said.

Waiting until he was certain the car was out of sight, he turned into a dark alleyway and portaled home, mentally preparing himself as he opened the front door.

"Dad!" Ronald was the first to rush from the sitting room, pulling him into a hug, "I was so worried!" he pulled back and punched his father's arm, "Don't go running off like that again!"

Alan stood in the doorway, his arms crossed. The twins had been taken out by their great-grandfather for the day, and William and Grell were at Dispatch.

Eric wrapped his arms around his son, nuzzling into his soft hair with a happy purr.

"Sorry, love...I didn't mean ta wander off like tha'..."

He glanced up at his husband, moving to the side to approach the brunet.

"And Will says I'm reckless…" Ronald muttered.

Alan kept a steady gaze on his husband, "Just what were you doing last night?" he asked, "And don't you dare lie. I got a call from the bartender…you left your jacket on your barstool—and Ron didn't see it. He told me you ran off with two women."

Shit...

Alan knew about the women - Eric sweated; what was he supposed to say? That he brutally murdered them about ten minutes later?

"I dun know... I told ya, I dun remember anything aside from leavin' the bar... As fer them, fuck if I know."

"Eric, please! I know you well enough to know when you are hiding something." Alan said, letting his arms fall to his side.

Ronald but his lip, feeling uncomfortable…his parents were starting to fight—he hated that.

"I ain' hidin' nothin'." the man replied stubbornly.

Alan narrowed his eyes and pushed himself away from the wall and he headed to the stairs, "Fine, don't tell me. I thought we were past the whole secrets thing, Eric…" he muttered as he disappeared.

Eric growled slightly, sensing an insult behind the brunet's words.

"Alan!" he called out, but then sighed, knowing it was futile.

He glanced down at his son, stroking his cheek comfortingly. "'S alrigh', little one... Yer mother's jus' pissed a' me fer gettin' lost on ya..."

Ron shook his head, "It's more than that this time…this isn't like the time you lost me at the zoo…" Ron sighed and looked down, "The Bartender told me last night that you had left with two women. He made no secret as to what kind of women they were either…I didn't tell Mum, though, because I had hoped he had been wrong…"

Eric's heart sank slightly, yet he struggled to keep control over the situation - no need for unwanted suspicions about something that obviously (as he so dryly noted) never happened.

"I have no idea who they were... Didn't want 'em near me - they jus' draped themselves over me, offered ta take me home... Was so pissed I had no idea wha' was goin' on anymore... Dun remember anything after tha'..."

"You should have waited for me, dad! I would have taken you home!" Ron insisted.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry!" the man insisted, exhaling wearily, rubbing soothing circles into the boy's back.

Ronald let out a small vocal huff of air and hugged his father, "Just…no more disappearing on us…"

Eric chuckled softly, nuzzling into his son's hair, purring loudly. Leaning over, he held Ronald close, drawing his tongue and licking his hair, much like how a mother cat would her kitten.

"Dude—what the hell?" Ronald gasped and scowled, ducking out of his father's embrace, "Did you just—lick me? Gross!" he complained, touching his wet spot in his hair.

Eric growled slightly, yanking the blond back, his expression relaxing and purring starting up again as he resumed his 'cleaning' of his 'kitten'.

"Dad! Stop! This is disgusting! Uhg, I'm going to need a shower after this." Ronald wiggled.

Eric merely rested his cheek on his son's damp hair, face almost cat-like content; his purring, loud and clear as a bell, vibrated through his chest and out into the house.

All that went through his head was, 'My kitten, my baby.'

"I think you are still drunk…" Ronald muttered.

Eric frazzled the boy's hair even more with his teeth, moving over to resume his licking, touching on the shell of the boy's ear.

"Dad!" Ronald's face flushed and he wiggled harder, stumbling away, "Save it for Mum! If I wanted to be-whatever that is I'd go to my _husband_!"

Eric whined slightly, pulling a face the same of a cat that had been thrown into water - pouting. A soft, almost pained mewl escaped him, as he stared sadly at his son.

"Don't look at me like that! I'm a grown man—and you are not a—dog!"

Eric growled slightly, the idea of being compared to a dog irritating him. Then he blinked, face turning beet red with embarrassment, mentally slapping himself.


	8. The Beginning of the End?

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 8**

Alan set out the dinner on the table and sat down in his chair, "Bri, stop terrorizing Soul and sit down to dinner." He smiled as he watched the little girl chasing the dog around the table.

"But I'm not hungry!"

"Sit or no ice cream afterwards."

"…Yes, Grandma…" she pouted.

Eric had been napping for the past half hour, only to awaken to the smell of his husband's cooking. Drooling slightly -for he had since obtained a love for anything meat - he slipped out of bed, wandering down into the kitchen, only to be giggled at by his two grandchildren.

"Wha'? Wha's so funny?" he yawned, unaware of the suction dart stuck to his forehead.

"Nothing gwampa!" Briella giggled.

"You have a little something on your face, dad." Ronald said as he cut Kai's ham into small bites for him.

"Huh?" Eric crossed his eyes, trying to see before spotting the handle of the dart. "Oi... wha' have I told ya about shootin' me with darts while I sleep? Remember - only ta Grandma."

He sniggered, leaving the dart in place, moving over to kiss his husband on the cheek.

For the past couple of months, things had been a little more than tense between him and Alan - ever since that night, the brunet had been rather stern with him, sometimes edgy. Eric said nothing, not wanting to accelerate the problem even more, convinced that the smaller Reaper would snap out of it eventually.

Yet, he could not control his transformation, while always happened around nights of the full moon. He had one close call with Ronald, the blond having heard him roaring at the night of the full moon, only to think of it as a bear.

He'd taken to observing lunar charts and calendars in secret, jolting down the days when the moon's cycle would come full circle. On those nights, he snuck out, traveling either deep into the forests outside of mortal London or underground, transforming in peace and letting his beast side roam the night. So far, he had gotten away without mauling anyone.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem to help matters with his family.

Alan said nothing, pulling free the dart and sitting down. He took up his knife and cut Briella's ham for her, "Sit down to dinner, Eric."

The back door opened and Grell stumbled in, "Oh good, supper!" he threw off his jacket and sat down.

"Rough day at work?" Ron asked.

"Messy day…and I couldn't even enjoy it." The redhead huffed and glanced at William who had had the day off, "There were more Werecreature attacks last night."

William snorted slightly, chewing at his own food.

"It's been a mess - those vile creatures are just as bad as demons. Mauling everything in sight, so reckless and savage - one should think they would put a pest control on them by now."

"But they are still people most of the time." Ronald protested, "They are only monsters under the light of the right moon."

"It's enough." Grell grumbled, "The mess they make in those few nights each month rival that of what demons do freely."

Eric went silent, trying to ignore most of the conversation, his appetite suddenly dispelled. Playing around with his food, he paused as Grell's voice floated up from the other end of the table.

"And what do you think of all this Alan?"

"Ronald has the right idea—they are still people, some good, some bad—they will be judged and collected when their time comes, but the ones who do not seek to control themselves during the night are no better than demons." His eyes slid over to William, "You yourself have a werewolf friend, yes? And he is one of the few who had gained control over himself. He is no longer a beast. But so few even try to do as he has done."

William nodded, wiping his mouth on a napkin.

"Indeed - though while my friend has some control, not all werecreatures do. Sometimes, they loose control completely, and become the monster entirely, or so the rumors go..."

Eric tightly gripped his fork. "William, whatever were to happen if one of our own fell to such a curse?"

"If that happened... then the unfortunate result would be extermination. Society does not look kindly on such occurrences, and it is in there best interest that the names of Reapers not be tarnished by the violence and savagery of monsters."

"Which is why we must find and take care of whatever monster is causing such a mess in this area!" Grell huffed.

Eric swallowed thickly, his blood turning to ice; the fear that harbored in his heart was nothing compared to the panic and tension that swept into the room. His skin turned cold and clammy, sweat coating his forehead - he felt like he was going to be sick.

No, he was sick, very sick - sick from a curse that could never be cured, and of which could send his entire life and family spiraling downwards.

Fed up with the talk, he slammed his hands on the table, pushing his chair back against the wall. Trembling, he stood, turning to leave.

"Eric?"

"Gwampa, what's th'matter?" Briella asked with a mouthful of food.

"... 'M gonna lie down... Dun feel well..." the blond muttered, holding one hand to his stomach, the other against his head.

Kai jumped off his chair and ran over to his grandfather, holding up his stuffed kitten toy. He had countless stuffed animals and he loved them all, one never knew which ones he'd carry with him each day. "Minnie will help you feel better!"

Just as Eric was reaching for the small white kitten with a bright green bow, the phone gave a shrill ring.

Ciel got up from his seat, wiping his hands while moving over to the cradle sitting on the counter. Swiping the phone, he clicked the receiver on with his thumb, resting it lazily to his ear.

"Hello?"

A young girl's voice answered back cheerfully, "Hello? Is Eric there?"

The blue haired boy pulled a face, eyes swiveling onto the blond Reaper. He knew well enough of the tension between the man and his husband had been accelerating for the last couple of week, especially with Eric's disappearances.

"Eric? It's for you." he called out, moving to stand off to the side, intent on listening in on the conversation.

The blond glanced up, confusion written on his face as he took the phone, answering nervously into the mouthpiece.

"Hello?"

"Eric? Oh good. I was slightly worried you had given us a fake number with how you had been so insistent on getting back home to your family! Oh, sorry—this is Jane, remember me? The Farmer's daughter? I drove you back to London."

"Jane? Oh, righ'! Yeah, I remember." the blond laughed, moving into the sitting room. "Yer father find anythin' out? Tha' was a nightmare."

"Eh? No. The Police didn't want to talk to you either, obviously. But the wolves haven't been caught yet… two nights ago Pa lost half his heard of goats. He and some of the other farmers out here are forming a hunting party—anyway, That's not why I called you. I was cleaning out my car and I think I found your wallet."

Eric blinked in surprise.

"Wow, thank ya very much! Tha's real nice o' ya! Have no idea how I left it there..."

"Probably fell out of your pocket—and it's important, I'm sure you have been missing it. Listen, I'm heading into town right now, anyway—meeting some friends at the Library if you want to meet me there so I can give it back to you. I'd be there in about fourty-five minuets."

Eric bit his lip; he needed his wallet badly (he had been wondering where it had run off to - though most of his identification in there was for mortal purposes), but at the same time, he still felt on edge and ill from the conversation prior at the dinner table.

Still, he needed the fresh air.

"I'll be there, if ya can wait a bit by the entrance... I ain' gonna stay long, under the weather, see..."

"Of course. I'll meet you there, Eric!" The young woman said cheerfully before hanging up.

Eric hung up the phone, setting it aside on the table before grabbing his coat, cursing to himself as he stepped out the door.

"Eric, would you—" Walking into the room that had the phone in it, Alan stopped and looked around. He hadn't seen his husband walk back through the dinning room to go up to bed and lay down…

"Eric?"

"What happened?" Ciel wandered up beside his adoptive brother, peering at the front door with a slight frown.

_'So he did leave..._'

"Ciel…do you know where Eric went?" Alan asked, his gaze lingering on the phone, "It was on the house phone…he couldn't have been called into work…they would have called his mobile…"

The boy shook his head.

"No, that I do not... As for who called him, it was some woman..." he stated, moving past to pick up a book sitting on the side table.

"A woman? Who?" Alan frowned, slowly sitting down, thoughts he didn't want making themselves known. Eric's been acting oddly, sneaking out at night, disappearing for hours at a time, keeping secrets…The man's nearly stopped completely with trying to tease and coax Alan into having sex with him each week, and between the caller's being female, and remembering that Eric had left the bar that one night with two women…was Eric…having an affair? Was Alan not enough to keep him happy anymore? Alan's gut twisted painfully, his heart aching; was it because of his Thorns?

"Oh Rhea…"

Ciel, sensing distress and pain, turned to the Reaper in concern. "Alan?" he asked, moving to kneel in front of the man.

"What if he's…not happy with me anymore..?" he whispered, "He's always liked Women before he…decided to pursue me… and with how he's been acting…" he looked at his adoptive brother, "What if he's sick of taking care of a ill-fated husband?"

Ciel frowned even more so at this proclamation, resting a hand on the upset Reaper's knee.

"Do you really think he would leave you?"

"I…had never understood why he wanted me…knowing I am dying…and…and knowing he could have any girl he wanted. Maybe he just realized that as well…"

Without another word the boy stood, his mind set in stone. Something was up, disfiguring and corrupting the one place he had been able to call home in over a century, and he was damned if he was going to let it fall apart.

"I shall be back... There is something I need to check up upon in mortal London..."

The next second bore him gone without a thought of reconsideration.

From the doorway, Ronald stood frozen, having heard the conversation. Was his father cheating on his mother? No! He wouldn't…couldn't! They…they were a family. "Mum…are you okay?" he asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.

Alan turned around and gave a small smile, "I'm fine…" he nearly choked, standing, "Would you mind taking care of the dishes tonight? I'm going to go lay down…I have a bit of a headache."

"What's going on?" William asked, coming up behind his husband, frown gracing his face as he caught sight of the worry in the boy's eyes.

"I'll…get on those dishes, then…" Ronald said, turning to walk into the kitchen, knowing full well William was following him. He turned on the hot water and poured in some soap before gripping the edge of the sink.

William in turn leaned against his husband, wrapping his arms around him, rubbing his front.

"Something is bothering you, liebe... what is wrong?"

"My dad's…been acting really strange lately…hasn't he?" he whispered.

William pressed a kiss to Ronald's neck. "Is that what worries you?"

"What if…what if he and mum leave each other?" he choked out, gripping the edge of the sink tighter, "What if Dad leaves us?"

William went silent, unsure of how to respond; his own father had died when he was young, leaving his mother alone to care for him and his siblings. While his poor mother did grieve over a broken heart, she still held strong, knowing she had to be there for her children, until William and Richard died a year later.

"I am here for you, love, no matter what happens... As is your entire family."

Ron turned off the water and turned around, hugging his lover, "But what if they do break up? What if Papa moves out?"

William ran a soothing hand down his back.

"What matters most is coping - no matter what happens, we will get through it together."

"But…it's always been my greatest fear…mama and papa splitting up…when they fought when I was a kid…"

"I know, liebe... But remember that they will love you the same."

Ronald hugged William tighter, "…Still going to need my Mou-Mou…" he muttered, referring to his favorite childhood toy mouse he still kept hidden under his pillow on their bed.

William pressed a reassuring kiss to Ronald's forehead, trailing to his cheek then jaw to finally meet his lips.

"And Mou-Mou will be there to help you, too, as will I" he murmured softly, nuzzling the peach soft skin.


	9. And the World Falls Down

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 9**

Jane leaned against the wall outside the library, looking up at the sky, a pile of books in her arms and a content smile on her face.

Eric watched her from around the corner, exhaling softly before brushing of his jacket by the arms and making a small attempt to smooth his sleep-mused hair.

Stepping out into the evening sunlight, he strode in a casual fashion to the girl, calling as he went.

"Oi!"

She turned her head and smiled when she saw him, "Oh good! I was wondering what was keeping you!" she pushed herself from the wall and hurried down to meet him, digging in her bag for his wallet.

"Tryin' ta find m' coat at home" the blond joked, smiling slightly.

Ciel had followed Eric's scent from the house all the way down to the edge of mortal London. Crawling amongst the shadows of the rooftops, using them to hide his presence, he watched the scene below with curious and concerned eyes.

"You just misplace everything, don't you?" she giggled, "Ah-ha! Here it is. Sorry, my bag is a bottomless pit when it comes to finding things, here." she handed him his wallet, "You should be more careful with that—leaving it in my car—unless you did so knowingly." She teased light-heartedly with a wink.

Eric chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Ahhh... Not really, miss. M' husband woulda skinned me alive." he chuckled.

"Too bad…You're cute." she sighed, handing over the wallet.

Eric took it gratefully, grinning lazily at her with a slight salute.

"Thank ya, miss... Yer very kind. Now, I have ta get back home, so-"

"So inviting you for tea would be a no? My friend who I was meeting had to cancel."

"...Wha' kind o' tea?" he asked; if it was at a tea shop, then perhaps he could pick up some for Alan as a gift to help ease the tension between them.

"Whatever kind you want." She smiled, "There is a small café just down the road here. they have the best tea selection I've ever seen. They even sell blends people can take home." She smiled, "Come on, It'll be fun, and it'll mean I didn't waste all that gas driving out here just for a silly old wallet."

"Alrigh', but jus' a couple o' minutes, ya hear?" he chuckled slightly, moving to follow her down the street.

Ciel growled softly from his perch up above, scurrying across the eaves troughs to keep up with the supposed affairing couple.

A low growl sounded behind him, a snarly meow catching his attention. hunched up behind him, a scruffy stray brown cat with deep blue eyes - odd enough for any animal - glared daggers at him, tail swishing in anger. Ciel growled in irritation, having a long standing hatred for felines and especially territorial ones.

The cat hissed in response.

Distracted, the dog demon and cat began to face off in a circling match on the rooftops, the cat launching itself at Ciel's face, scratching violently. People on the streets winced and glared at the two screeched and snarled like rabid animals.

In the midst, Eric had wandered out of sight with the girl.

-x-

Alan sat in the sitting room near the front door, his arms crossed, and in no mood for games—especially Eric's. His eyes stayed fixed on the old grandmother clock sitting upon the mantle of the fireplace, the hands ticking away the seconds, inching their way to half-past midnight. Ciel had come back—covered in cat scratches, and Grell fretted over him as he explained what he'd been doing, or rather, what he had seen.

Eric swore as he ran down the street, a small box of red velvet tea in his coat pocket. A couple of minutes turned into a couple of hours as the girl had managed to find every and any little excuse to keep him there. He finally had to lay it down - nicely - that no, he was not interested, and two, he was married and already extremely late on getting home, and left in a haste - only to find the buses had stopped running around half-past eleven.

Tripping over the front steps, he pushed open the front door, slipping inside before locking it and turning around to come face-to-face with his rather angry husband.

"Alan? Sorry I'm home late."

"Oh? Are you late? What are you 'late' getting home from, is what I'm wondering." You couldn't even tell us you were leaving? What in Rhea's good name has gotten into you, Eric? What happened to needing to lay down? To not feeling good?"

Eric groaned mentally, not even close to knowing how serious the argument was, seeing only as another one of his husband's irritated moments.

"If ya must know, I dropped m' wallet while out in London an' this kind youn' lass found it fer me." he said. "I still feel like shit, worse off now than before if it makes ya sleep better t'night..."

It was true - his head had begun to ache halfway through the night and he was beginning to pale slightly.

"A lost wallet?" Alan repeated, "And it took that long to hand it over? How fool-minded do you think I am, Eric Slingby?" Tears pricked the corners of the brunet's eyes.

Being called a liar prickled slightly on the blond's nerves, but seeing his husband tremble, he pushed it aside.

"Al? Honey, wha's worng?" he asked in concern, moving to wrap his arms around the man and hold him close to his chest.

"Don't—touch me!" Alan snapped, smacking his hands away and walking to the stairs, "And don't bother joining me in bed."

Eric stared as his husband pushed him aside, brow furrowing and eyes narrowing a smidge - something inside twinged, a small spark of irritation to add on to the prickle in his nerves. His headache was worsening, and it wasn't helping matters in the slightest.

"Wha' was that fer? I was only tryin' ta help!" he exclaimed, only to shake his head. "Know wha? never mind, 'm too fuckin' sick an' tired ta deal with it right now. Ya wanna be pissed, go be pissed, ain' m' fault if yer PMSing."

Alan slammed the door behind him, locking it for good measure before curling up—alone on his bed.

Ronald swallowed, having witnessed the fight as he'd gotten up moments before Eric had gotten home to get a glass of water, and he stepped out of the kitchen, into the hall, "Why can't you just tell the truth?" he said in a low voice.

Still trying to cool his uneven temper, Eric turned to his son, giving him an odd look.

"Wha' truth? I told 'im exactly wha' I was doing!"

Ron looked down at the small glass of water in his hand, "Dad…I'm only going to ask this once…and I want the truth…are…are you cheating on Mum?"

"Wha'?!" Eric stared at his son incredulously, the comment stroking another match against his temper. "No! I would never do tha' ta Alan! Wha' the 'ell gave ya tha' idea?!"

"You've been acting oddly, dad! Disappearing for hours—sometimes all night, running off with women…keeping secrets. It's not hard to figure out—and I know mum has done the same. He knows…so…so why? Why are you hurting us?"

Oh... oh dear.

Eric groaned slightly, understanding the issue more clearly. All those times he had snuck out when the moon was ripe in the sky, to fall under the curse he had been given... they thought he had...

He shook his head; even now, he couldn't say it.

"I can't tell ya... Ya wouldn' understand..."

"You're right…I don't understand…I thought you loved Mum more than anything…" Ronald choked out.

"I do!" Eric exclaimed, beginning to feel frustrated with his overall argument. "This has nothin' ta do with it!"

"If you aren't cheating on him, then what is it? What have you been doing? Why are you running out to meet with young women?"

"I'm not, I... Look, jus' drop... I ain' dealin' with it anymore t'night..." the man groaned, clapping a hand to his pounding forehead, leaning against the wall.

What day of the month was it again?

"Dad…daddy, please! I hate seeing Mama sad…I don't want our family falling apart like this—I can't loose you or mama again. Please…just tell me what's going on! I'll help…"

Eric shook his head, almost huffing slightly. "No, I can't have you gettin' involved... 'S too dangerous, too-" He froze, body becoming familiarly tense. His breathing became labored, as if his chest threatened to collapse, his eyes catlike, glowing as the silverly light of the full moon broke into the room.

Shit... shit!

Without a word, he bolted for the door, bursting through it before taking off to the backyard, aiming for the woods lining their property. He couldn't, wouldn't let it happen there - he would not risk the life of his kittens and his mate.

"Dad? Dad! Come back! Y-You're acting like a bloody child, you are!" Ron yelled, running after his father, using his reaper speed to catch up.

Eric panted, snarling slightly in a feral manner, slowly feeling his senses and mind slip away. Hearing his son approach, he swore loudly.

"G-Go ba-baaack!" he somehow managed, before letting out a loud bellow. "GET AWAY!" His fangs grew longer, muscles bunching and growing larger as his clothing started to strain and ripe, hair turning to a mane as a fine layer of coarse fur sprouted along every inch of his arms, legs, chest and back.

"D-Dad..?" Ronald froze, witnessing the change happening in his father as he turned from a loving man—into a beast—a lion? The mane of hair gave that much away. But—how? He trembled slightly and took a step back, twigs snapping under his foot.

The newly formed werelion snapped it's head towards the boy, an ugly snarl forming on it's face. Claws bared and drool dripping from its fangs; it roared, collapsing into a hunting stalk after the blond. No longer was Eric there; only a monster in his place.

"No…" Ronald paled, "Dad…daddy, it's me—your little mouse—your son!" He pleaded, trying to help any of his father's consciousness that may still be there. He wouldn't fight—he couldn't. This was his father! There was no way he'd be able to fight back… His mortal blade—his knife would be one thing, it wouldn't do any lasting damage at all to Eric. But he was in nothing but his orange bathrobe—completely naked underneath as he usually slept in the nude unless Briella or Kai wiggled their way into his and William's bed. He didn't carry his knife on him at night. He could only summon his scythe—and that would kill Eric.

He took a few more slow steps back, his bare feet sliding in the dirt, "Dad—please…"

The lion snarled, tensing before pouncing at the boy, claws outstretch, ready to take down it's prey.

"No!" Ron screamed, turning to flee, but he wasn't quick enough; screaming as he felt the sharp sting of claws rip into his back and down his leg before he found himself pinned to the ground.

The lion snarled, it's jaws barely inches from the boy's neck, as it tore and ripped at the soft flesh and skin, blood splattering onto the ground.

"No—Dad—STOP! Gharhghh!" Ronald screamed and cried, starting to cough up blood as he fought to get away, hitting and clawing at the werelion's face, though his attempts grew weaker until darkness began to take him.

_Dad, please…_

His body went limp and collapsed under Eric; as still as the dead.


	10. Daddy's Sorry

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 10**

The next morning spelt a huge headache and yet another awakening in a spot of sunshine for Eric. Groaning, he slapped a hand to his head, cursing slightly at the migraine and bright light blinding his eyes. He paused, smelling something oddly, horribly familiar.

Blood.

Pulling his hand away, he gaze in silent horror at the slick coating of red covering his entire hand, arm and body. The sickly taste of iron return to his tongue, the mere essence making him gag and spit. _'Shit_...' His heart clenched, turning to ice, the memories once again slowly returning. Alan, the fight, Ronald...

_Ronald! _

Whirling around, he felt his mind go blank and numb at the terrible sight that lay before him. Ronald lay upon the ground, dried blood coating his skin and caked into his hair, the dirt and his shredded robe soaked in crimson. His body was twisted and broken, deep cuts marring his once perfect skin. Ronald's eyes were closed behind broken glasses that barely hung on his face, and there were no signs that he was breathing.

It was as if the world had come to a complete stop, time itself frozen as the ground beneath Eric's feet seemed to crumble away and swallow him whole. He knew who was responsible, he needn't even ask. "No... _NO_!" He screamed, clutching at his head, letting out an almost inhuman screech.

He had killed his own son.

Back at the house, Briella was the first to awaken, grinning as she ran into her brother's room and fished him out of his collection of stuffed animals, pulling her sleepy-eyed twin brother with her to their parents' room, surprised the door was already open. Ignoring it, she and Kai rushed in and hopped up onto the bed.

"Mama! Daddy! Sunny-morning time!" The girl giggled until she spotted Ronald's empty spot.

Kai spotted the lack of their mother as well, and he wiggled William's shoulder to wake him, "Daddy…daddy, where's mama? Did Mama have early work time 'gain?"

"Mmmm... Good morning, sunshines" William yawned slightly, rolling over to pull his children in for a morning kiss. "Your mutti is up already? Not snoring away like a log?"

Kai giggled.

"Logs don't snore, daddy!" Briella giggled. "Maybe Mama got excited! Grandma said he'd make us chocolate Pancakes today!"

William chuckled, sitting up with another loud yawn. "Well then, maybe Mommy is in the kitchen!" he smiled. "As for logs snoring, some do... your mother, Grandpa and Grell."

The twins giggled and climbed off the bed, "Lets go get Mommy and Pancakes!" Kai laughed, jumping up and down while hugging his stuffed frog toy.

The two pulled on Will's arm until he followed them.

Yet upon arriving into the kitchen, the three were rather surprised to find it empty. Not a trace of the blond was found or seen, aside from the open door of the farthest cupboard, close to the sink. William frowned. "Ronald mentioned getting a drink last night... But he didn't return to bed soon after..." A rather knotted feeling stirred in his gut, his mind and heart telling in desperately that something was not right. The air was tense, almost suffocating, as if something very, very awful had occurred.

"Daddy…where is Mummy?" Kai asked, the smile falling from his face.

"Broken glass!" Briella stated, pointing to the floor near the back door into the yard, which was open a crack. The glass shards and water spread across the floor as if the glass had been carelessly placed on the edge of the counter and had fallen.

William frowned more so, moving quick to examine the mess. From the looks of things, who ever had dropped it had been in a rush.

Alan came down into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes, "Have an accident, Spears?" he mumbled, seeing the broken glass, "Use the vacuum to get all the glass…no need for little feet getting cut."

William blinked slightly at the dull tone in the man's voice. "Alan...?" he sensed an air of hurt and anger around the brunet, yet refrained from voicing his concerns. Something must have happened to rile the normally calm man, but whatever it was, he did not know. Instead, he focused his thoughts on his missing husband, and chewed his lower lip in worry.

"Yeah?" Alan asked, moving to gather things for breakfast.

"We can't find Mama." Kai said, hugging his frog.

"Mommy wen' missin'!" Briella chirped, jumping to climb up on the counter.

Alan turned around, "Ronald's gone?" he asked in alarm.

Kai nodded. "Daddy said that Mommy never came bad to bed last night" he explained.

"Spears…you lost my baby boy?" Alan asked, trying to keep a calm face.

Briella giggled, "Mommy's a baby boy?"

"He's my baby boy. Just like you will always be your mama and daddy's baby girl. Even when you're big." Alan pointed out, then sighed, "Kids…go wake up Auntie Grell and tell him to make you breakfast. Your daddy and I are going to go find your mama."

"No need, I'm up…Unnie woke me when he rolled atop me." Grell muttered, walking down. "What's all this about finding Ronnie?"

"Spears lost Ronald last night somehow." Alan grumbled, walking out the door. The first thing that hit him was the reeking smell of blood. The air was thick with it, as if a massacre had occurred right before their very eyes and was left to rot in the sun.

"Spears…" Alan looked over at his son's husband, summoning his scythe, a painful twist of worry settling in his heart, "You smell it too…don't you?"

William nodded solemnly, his scythe standing tall and sharp by his side. "... I'll check the front, you check the back" he said before rushing over into the yard, desperately searching for his husband.

The brunet nodded and walked towards the fence along the backside of their backyard, beyond which was a thick wooded area. The sickened smell of blood grew stronger, and Alan, hoping that some animals had gotten into a fight, hopped over the wooden fence and held his scythe at the ready, following his nose deeper into the wooded area. He stopped, seeing a figure in the distance; crouching among the trees—light falling over golden hair.

"Ronald!" Alan sighed out in relief, hurrying forward.

Eric had since moved to his son's side, bloodied fingers gently stroking the boy's cheeks, a sorrowful expression upon his face.

As Alan drew closer, he found himself not looking at Ronald—but Eric, "Eric? What are you doing way out here—have you seen Ronald?" he called out as he approached, right before he realized Eric was holding something—no, some_one_.

He sped up.

Eric leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his baby boy's forehead, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. He froze, hearing footsteps approach, glancing up in time to see his husband burst through the trees, eyes going wide. "Alan... I-I..."

"Ronald!" Alan ran over and fell to his knees, shaking head-to-toe as he took in his son's state, "Oh Scythe-almighty….wh-what happened? Ronnie! Ronnie!" he sobbed, gathering the young man into his arms.

Eric said nothing, his head lowered in shame and anguish, unable to find the words to tell the truth.

"Ronnie…Baby…my baby…please…please open your eyes! Come back to mommy! Please!" The world faded to black around Alan, nothing else mattered—only that his baby would show some sign of life—anything. He couldn't smell death—but he was too emotional to pay attention to that fact; too worried. "E-Eric….our b-baby…why won't our baby open his eyes?"

Eric remained silent; biting his lip as tears slowly trickled down his face. He didn't know what to say, what to do. Finally, one thing slipped from his mouth. "I-I'm s-sorry..."

"It—It's not to late! It can't be! Fate can't be so cruel! We…we have to get him to the Infirmary!" Shakingly, Alan Got up, still clinging to Ronald's broken body, "We have to!"

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Eric repeated over and over again, shivering slightly. "Please forgive me..."

Alan halted in his steps, turning to look up at his husband, "Eric…What…don't tell me you did this…" he choked out, finding Eric's wording strange, and hoping that the man simply meant that he'd been too late in running to their son's aid. That had to be it! There was no way Eric would ever harm Ronald!

But Eric merely shook his head shamefully, sad eyes bearing guilty truth at Alan like shards of green glass.

"Eric. What do you mean—did…did you try to save him from what happened and fail? What attacked him? Was it a demon?"

The amount of guilt and fear in Eric's eyes was enough to tell him the complete truth.

Alan stepped back with Ronald, staring into those guilty green eyes, "Eric…what did you do..?" he whispered, "Why? He—he's our baby boy! It—it's like I don't even know you anymore…"

Eric's swallowed, his clenching in pain. "A-Alan, I-I'm sorry-"

"You attacked our son?" Alan asked in a tone too calm to the situation, "How? How could you do this much—damage to him? _How_ could you hurt our son!" his tone mounted to a scream as he held Ron tighter, "Rhea! What if you've killed him?"

"I-I didn't mean to-! I-it was an accident, I never meant to... I ... I-"

"Who—are you anymore? Certainly not my husband—Ron's loving father…" Alan turned and ran through the trees, carrying Ron in his arms, "Spears!"

Pain stabbed at Eric's heart at the brunet's words, yet upon hearing him call the older Reaper's name, he paled, fear and panic filling him. His heart pounding in his chest, he bolted, running off into the woods, away from the house, and the life he had.

"Spears! I—I found him…" Alan cried as he burst out of the woods and leapt over the fence back into the yard, "Get the car!"

William came running, turning pale at the sight of his husband. Running to the brunet, he made a noise of pain and sorrow, gently taking Ronald's hand into his own, pressing it to his cheek, eyes wide and entire being almost hysterical.

Alan looked up at William, tears of intense pain rolling down his cheeks, "We—we need to get him to the infirmary…" he choked, "I can't—I can't loose my baby…"

William nodded vigorously, a tear or two of his own sliding down his face. Moving fast, he ran into the garage, starting up the car before pulling out into the driveway.

Alan climbed into the back with Ron, "Hang in there, baby…don't—don't leave us…"

The drive to the hospital was long and grueling, though in reality it only took five minutes. The moment they entered, doctors and nurses rushed in on the scene, taking Ronald from his mother's arms into immediate surgery. The brunet collapsed into a chair in the waiting room.

How? Why?

"Eric…" he grit his teeth and tightened his fist. Their family was falling apart—Ronald could be dying—by Eric's hand. Eric had been cheating on him (He was sure, at this point), and his personal stress had caused an increase in smaller attacks. Alan bowed his head, as if in prayer. "Death…take me, not…not my baby…please…"

William had long since moved down the hall, too anxious to wait in the waiting room, taken to pacing outside the operating chambers, leaving Alan alone with his thoughts.

Hours passed, each tick of the clock becoming more and more painful by the second. Finally, day turned to night, and at 12:30, the doctors finally emerged from the operating room.

The head Doctor, looking exhausted, called over the two men waiting for news, "Mister Humphries, Mister Spears…" he waited for the two men to approach, "I have some good news, bad news…and worse news." He said, adjusting his glasses as he looked down at the clipboard in hand.

Alan took a deep breath, and grabbed William's hand to brace himself for whatever the Doctor had to say.

"We ran tests on Young Knox's wounds, we had thought they were from a demon, and hadn't wanted any infection to have more of a chance to taint his blood. It turns out they are not demonic and he is free of any tainting that would cause changes in him, demonic or otherwise. We were able to operate normally after that, and he is in a stable condition, and signs look good for his healing. I would estimate that at this point, if he continues the way he is going, that chance of relapse and possibly death is at only a ten-percent." The man said, starting with the good news. He took a deep breath and continued, "However, Knox has unfortunately fallen into a comatose, and there is no telling how long he'll be out."

he paused again to let it sink in, "Worse than that, however…" he looked down at Alan, "It seems the theory upon his birth had been correct. Ronald Knox carries Thorns of Death within him, and the trauma his body underwent proved too much. It triggered his first attack while he was under the knife."

Alan felt his knees give out and he fell to the floor, "N-no…no…not my baby…"

William felt his heart shatter at the news, the one thing he and his husband has desperately hoped would never happen - the dreaded Thorns of Death. Feeling Alan collapse beside him, he knelt down, wrapping his arms around his suffering mother-in-law, sharing his pain.

"I'm sorry to have had so much unfortunate news…" The doctor said gently, "He's…been set up in room 420. As his mother and Husband you have full visitation rights…"

William nodded, lifting Alan to his feet. "Thank you. I'll take Mr. Humphries to see his son..." the man said, gently comforting the brunet.

Alan cried silently as he was guided by his Son-in-law, until they reached the door and saw Ronald laying in his hospital bed, an IV drip, attached, and his skin pale against the white pillow propping him up at a slight angle. With a verbal cry, Alan rushed to the bedside, taking his son's hand in his own, "I—I'm so sorry, Baby…" he sobbed.

William watched the display with sadness, taking his place beside his lover, grasping his other hand. Nothing could be said or done to change his mood - he was numb, almost dead on the inside. And it was likely he would be that way until Ronald woke up again.


	11. Officer and Nurse

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 11**

A week passed without any sign of Eric, and Ronald stayed unmoving in the hospital. Briella and Kai had grown incredibly upset, and they were near impossible to get to go home when they visited Ronald's bedside, each curling up on either side of Ronald and clinging to him, waiting for him to move. Which of course, he never did.

Alan dropped the twins off at school and hurried over to the Hospital, spending all his time off work at his son's bedside. He hurried to Ron's room and sat down, rearranging all the stuffed Animals that Kai had brought from home to help his mother get better faster. He then rubbed Ron's cheek with his thumb, humming a lullaby.

Footsteps echoed down the hall, the door to the room opening with a creak as a tall, slender figure stepped inside. Clad in scrubs of medicine blue, shoulder-length blond hair tied back tight, the man's piercing green eyes bore a spark of cunning mischief and intelligence. Clipboard in one hand, flicking a pen in the other, the nurse paused momentarily, spotting the brunet sitting in the chair close by.

"Oh! My apologies, I wasn't aware anyone was in here this early!"

Alan looked up at the nurse, "No, It's fine. I can move if I'm in the way of your job…" he looked at his son, "Especially as you are attending to my baby boy…"

"Your son? Ah! Right, right, you must be the mother... you are...Alan Humphries, correct?" the man asked, as if trying to remember something long forgotten.

Alan nodded, looking up at the blond, "I'm rather surprised you didn't refer to me as 'The guy with Thorns'. Most nurses know me by my illness rather than my name unless they have tended to me enough times."

The man laughed slightly. "Yeah, I'd imagine that's painful enough. But I remember you - LondonAcademy, Classroom B36, Humanism, middle row, third seat? I sat next to you, don't you remember?"

The brunet blinked, thinking back, "That was a long time ago…sorry, I'm afraid I've forgotten. I never had paid much attention to anything other than my books and the lecture in classes…" he frowned, "Oh! Didn't we get partnered up for a small project?"

"Human Souls vs. Animal Souls? Yes! I was your partner for that!" he grinned, showing off a rather dazzling smile.

Alan gave him a small smile, but soon returned his gaze to Ronald, sighing as he brushed a lock of golden hair from his face, "Sorry…I'm a bit distracted…what was your name? Alex…something?"

"Alexander Gillison" the man chuckled. "And do not worry, it's completely understandable. That being said, I am very sorry for your pain - this is truly something I would not wish upon anyone, especially a sweet person like you." He moved towards the bed, pulling out a stethoscope, placing it upon Ronald's chest. "Vitals seem good... a little slow, but functioning well... I'll still have the doctor look him over again, poor little guy."

Alan took a deep breath, "His father and I are to blame for this…" he said sadly, "I passed Thorns onto him…and now he'll suffer it the rest of his life…I've cursed my own baby boy…" He'd been holding in so much over the past week, and Alexander seemed so easy to talk to that some of his thoughts started to spill from his lips.

"Hey, hey... It's no one's fault, and certainly not yours" Alex scolded lightly, moving to take a seat next to Alan, resting a comforting hand on his back.

"No…it is…I'm his mother—I'm supposed to protect him…and look…he hasn't moved in a week! The only sign of life that has come from him since he was a-attacked was during surgery when he had his first Thorns attack!" he paused, "And Eric…Eric hasn't shown his face at all since I found him holding our son's nearly dead body in his arms…"

Alexander frowned slightly, his brows furrowing. "But he's his father though, ain't he? Shouldn't he at least be here with his son, or is he too busy with work?"

Alan grit his teeth, "…He hasn't even been to work. He ran off as soon as I started rushing Ronnie here for help…he—he left." He wasn't going to admit that Eric had been the cause of Ronald's condition…he couldn't admit it, even to himself. He could barely admit that his husband had left him—likely running off with some woman.

"Oh... I see" Alex nodded solemnly, moving his hand to rub small circles onto the brunet's back. "I'm so sorry."

"I…had thought our family meant everything to him…myself, our son…our grandchildren…It seems…I was wrong…" he looked at Ronald, taking his hand. "He's found something more important to him… And Damn it!" he let out a rare curse, "The twins are going crazy! Their mother in his 'sleeping beauty sleep'…their grandfather having 'disappeared', I never see them smile anymore—they are only five!"

Alex merely hushed the smaller Reaprer, encouraging him to let it out and cry if he needed to. Inside, he couldn't help but smile - it was so hard to believe his own luck. Here, running into a face he thought he'd never see again, a face he had only dreamed of seeing once, and now to find that he was single...

Hours past, the conversation between Alan and Alexander continuing well into midday and then some into the afternoon.

Alan gave a small laugh, due to something Alaxander had said, despite everything, the nurse had helped him feel much better, and he turned back to adjust Ron's blankets, as he'd done countless times that day. But this time he spotted the clock. "Oh—is it that late already?"

"Hm?" Alex glanced over, blinking in surprise at the time of 10:30 PM written on the face of the clock, the sky outside having darkened behind the curtains hours ago. "It seemed I'm working overtime, my shift ended hours ago" he joked lightly, smiling over at Alan. "I apologize, it seems I have kept you later than I ought to have."

"No, no! Don't worry about it, Alex." Alan smiled, standing, "I was glad for the company—as is Ronald, I'm sure…" Though, skipping lunch had not been planned."

"Indeed... Know what? Let me make it up to you" the blond smiled. "I'll take out for something to eat then walk you home - it's dark out and few places are open, but I know this really nice establishment in the city that runs only at night - the owners are friends of mine. "

"I don't know…" Alan stated as he stood up, soon realizing his did feel a little weak from lack of nutrition, "I do live only five minuets away. You don't have to go through such trouble.

"No, no, I insist! Plus, it would give us a bit more time to catch up - I haven't seen you since our days at school" Alex smiled, offering his hand to the brunet. "What do you say?"

Alan looked the nurse up and down before sighing in defeat, "Fine, since you insist. It'll be nice not to cook for once—I'm sure my father has seen to it that the twins have been fed and are in bed…"

"I'm sure he has - from what you've mentioned, he seems like a very nice man." Alex helped the smaller man to his feet, guiding him out of the room after saying on last goodbye to the comatose Ronald. Clocking out, the blond spared a moment to grab his coat before leading Alan out to his car. "This place has an array of food, from French to Italian, so if you have an irking for something, there's no limit from what to choose from!"

"It sounds lovely. Thank you." He slipped into the car and buckled up, "Too bad we didn't get to be friends at school…"

"Indeed, but there is always time now, isn't there?" he said, starting up the engine and pulling out of the parking lot.

"There is, but there are plenty of times back then I could have used a friend. I was so focused on school work, and I only had Eric to talk to…sometimes I had something I didn't want to talk to him about." The brunet sighed as he watched the city pass by.

The other man reached over, patting him reassuringly on the shoulder. "It's awful, what he did to you... I don't know how anyone could be so cruel to play with a such a beautiful heart and soul."

"He did love me…once…" Alan muttered, "I simply meant back before I fell for him when it was all one-sided on his part."

"Ah, I see" Alex nodded, pulling up beside a rather well-groomed establishment, piano music playing from inside. "Here we are!"

"This…seems a bit fancier than I was imagining." Alan commented, looking out the window.

"It looks more homely on the inside trust me" the blond chuckled, parking the car on the side of the street. "The only downside is the parking meter, but it's late and this one doesn't require payment after 9:00."

"We should still try not to loose track of the time again." Alan said, a slight tease to his tone as he climbed out of the car.

"But where is the fun in that?" the jest was return as a mischievous smirk crossed Alex's face.

"Fun can't always be had the night before I must wake up early to make breakfast." Alan smirked, "It'd do me no good to be tired. I'd miss out on properly spending time with Briella and Kai.

Alex laughed, climbing out of the car before moving to wait for Alan. "Your grandchildren sound adorable."

"They are." Alan smiled gently, thinking about the two little balls of energy his son had brought into the world. Light in the darkness that was wartime. "Briella's a very strong girl. Very mischievous. She knows what she wants and won't stay quiet about voicing her displeasure about anything…Kai…is such a gentle thing…shy with a big heart for everything that lives."

"Big heart, eh? He should go into humanism when he gets older." Alex joked, guiding the man from the car into the restaurant. A place of warmth and wooden walls, the smell of various foods and spices floated about, creating an authentic aroma. Standing by the front, a tall, dark-haired Reaper approached, smoothing out his aprons and rolling his sleeves.

"Ciao, how may I be of service tonight?" he greeted, voice thickly laced with an Italian accent.

"Not much, Carlo, just a table for two if you would be so kind" Alex replied with a smirk, leaning up against the podium as if he owned the place.

The Reaper, who had been busy flipping through menus, glanced up, his face almost immediately breaking into a wide grin. "Ah, Alexander! Good to see you again!" the man shouted in a loud voice, though ignored by - obviously regular - customers, used to this sort of occurrence.

"Hello there, Carlo! It's been a while, hasn't it?" the blond flashed a grin of his own.

"Too long, too long" the Italian agreed, shaking his head in almost shame. "Table for two, si?"

"Indeed, for me and my companion" the other man smiled, gently nudging Alan into view; Carlo, as he was so named, regarded him with an air of curiosity.

"Ah, and who might this be?"

"Alan Humpheries," Alan greeted, extending his hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ah, Alan! Honors student, yes?"

"I…I was…years ago…I'm just a Dispatch officer now…" Alan blinked in surprise.

"Ah, but I have heard quite the story about you, no? You are one of London's Star Reapers after all." the man chuckled, moving to another room, gesturing for the pair to follow.

"You flatter me. I've done nothing more than my coworkers have." Alan flushed, not used to such praise.

The man led them to a table off to the side, open but private enough to give them some space from others.

Alan followed, looking around at the interior; he and Eric hardly ever went out to eat, becoming parents had made dates harder to come by.

"I will be back shortly with the menu." Carlo stated, leaving the pair alone to their own devices.

Alex made the first move, pulling out the chair for his companion, a happy smile upon his face. He could hardly believe this was happening.

Alan blinked at the unexpected act of courtesy, "You really don't have to do that, Alex." He said, but took the seat regardless.

"Eh, what harm does a little manners do?" he teased, slipping into the seat across from the brunet.

"I know we both come from a time of chivalry," Alan stated with a sigh, "But it reminds me of when Eric would take me on a date…"

Alex felt like grimacing, but refrained. "Romantic?"

"Hmm?" Alan looked across at him, wondering what he meant, "Eric was very romantic when he felt like it, yes."

"I see... Sorry, I did not mean to pry." the man said, catching himself with an embarrassed blush.

The brunet waved him off, "How about you? Anyone special waiting at home for you?"

Alex shook his head. "Naaah, haven't had a partner for at least a year now. My last boyfriend of six years decided to break it off... went with someone else. Been sort of drifting ever since then, you know? Just waiting for the right one to come along."

"I'm sorry to hear that…" The brunet sighed, glancing over the menu.

"Its fine, I got over it ages ago. So, thinking of anything special?" the man asked, waving off the brunet's sympathy.

"Special?" Alan asked, glancing up, "Oh, do you mean off the menu? I'm not sure…what would you suggest?"

"Me? I personally like the roast chicken, it's very nice with a lemon sauce."

"I'll try that, then." He smiled, "I don't eat out much, it always takes me a long time to choose something otherwise."

"I think you'll like it, though the portions can be very big... Normally, I come here with friends and we share a couple of plates between ourselves" the blond ran a hand through his hair.

"I see," Alan lay down the menu, "Then we can request a second plate and split it in half."

Alex looked up in surprise. "Are you sure? I don't want to make it awkward..."

"It's not like we'd be sharing a plate." Alan laughed. "Of course, I'm used to little hands eating off mine."

Alex laughed, leaning back comfortably in his seat. "Aaaah, must be nice having kids. Wouldn't have minded some myself, but Jeffery didn't want any. Too damn scared of pregnancy and too lazy to adopt."

"Pregnancy is an extremely low success rate among reapers, and Adoption is a long, difficult process." Alan pointed out, "My bloodline just happens to have a strange…something about it…" he muttered, "As a nurse, I'm sure you know well of how rare purebloods are…yet, my father's a pureblood, I am, my son, and now my two grandchildren."

"Indeed, it's a very peculiar cycle. I actually partook in a study on that - apparently, fertility rates in purebloods increase with each generation - not only in pregnancy, but also the ability to fertilize others. You mentioned you have a son, but any others or is he your only child?"

"Ronald's my only child…but we hadn't tried for any more after him…he was unplanned as it was. I made sure Eric used protection after that…especially seeing as we almost lost Ronald when he was born."

"Oh my... That's terrible. I would have had a heart attack if it were me" Alex shook his head, giving his order to a rather amused waiting waiter.

"My Thorns didn't help at all, either…" he sighed, pausing when the waiter came and took their order, "It's devastating that my Son inherited that curse…which means my grandchildren also have a chance at having it…"

Alex reached over to pat him comfortingly on the arm, yet instead caught his hand right over Alan's cheek, gently cupping it. He froze, face going beet red, embarrassment flooding him. 'Shit!'

Alan blinked and looked at him, "What are you doing?"

"I-I'm terribly sorry, it was accidental..." the man stammered, thoroughly flustered.

"This…you don't see this as a date, do you?"

"What? No, no, no, no! It was an accident, I assure you!" the blond held up his hands in defense, his heart racing a mile a minute.

"Good," The reaper relaxed in his seat, "I'm nowhere near ready for that…I…I still can't even accept that Eric left me…"

Alex reached out again, this time actually managing to pat Alan on the arm. "It was not your fault, nor should you blame yourself for it. He lost the greatest thing to him, and if he doesn't know it, then he's a right bastard and a fool. And...I'm always here if you need anything or want someone to talk to."

"Thanks, Alex." Alan smiled and then sighed, "It's strange…I normally keep these kinds of things to myself…I hate bothering people with my problems…but with you it's easy to start talking…"

The man hummed, an almost chuckle rumbling from his chest. Not deep and rough like Eric's, but smooth, more velvety and rolling, like the richest of chocolates. His words, too, though laced with a slight Oxford spice, varied in difference by a slight jump or touch between sentences depending on the conversation and topic at hand, for that matter. Right now, in his time of compassion and sympathy, his regards were given with an air of calm gentleness and reassurance, washing off his tongue, over Alan like warm water in a scented bath.

"It's…surprisingly nice…" Alan added, looking down at his hands, "Talking like this…"

"It is. I can't remember the last time I've felt so calm" Alex smiled, watching as the waiter returned with their meals.

Alan thanked the waiter for bringing them their meal and looked back at Alex, "Have you been stressed?" he asked casually.

"A little bit, mostly from work - we've been having a lot more sick Reapers come in. All getting plagued by the same damn thing from that one area. You know, Section 517 of London? The one everyone has been falling ill from if one so much as steps a foot into the perimeter."

Alan nodded, "Eric had been assigned investigation there, he didn't get sick, but he had been attacked…went missing for a few days…William, my son's husband—and my boss, also had been there, got sick…"

"Ah, I remember him. I treated him when he came in - threatened to give me overtime if I so much as gave him a vaccine. Rather stoic, isn't he?"

Alan laughed, "Yeah, when I found out that he had been the one my little Ronnie had been secretly seeing I had no idea why…they are so different." He sighed, "Made it easier to hate the man when he left Ron heartbroken and pregnant…"

Alex formulated an odd look. "What...? Why would he do such a thing? I mean, I have heard praytell of him being a stick up the arse, but..."

Alan shook his head, "From what I could gather at the time, Spears had a vendetta against purebloods, and As Ron had been so used to hiding the fact that he was one, he hadn't told him yet…I think Spears felt betrayed. Of course, it was too early at that point to know Ronald had the twins growing inside him. We found out about that later. I also don't know how, but things worked out between them."

"I think I heard about it, actually... My friend was looking over your son one day... apparently, the day before, he was told you and your husband were dead. He was distraught; I think he almost offered himself out of sadness and pain. Anyways, the same day, Spears went to Ronald and made mends... apologized and I heard he even cried like a baby when Ronald almost killed himself. Either way, from what my friend said, Spears was there to support your son... almost as if they never fought. It was almost as if they could share each others pain."

"He's still not good enough for Ronnie…but he's what makes Ron happy, so I support them." Alan sighed, trying not to get upset over the idea of Ronald being so hurt he could have killed himself.

"Not so fond of him I am guessing?" Alex said after taking a biteful of chicken.

"I like him just fine. He's smart, responsible, takes good care of the people around him, whether it's at home or in the work place…but Ronnie's my baby, and he's stolen my baby away from me. When Ronald's upset, he goes and curls up with Spears rather than me…I miss when he was little…"

Alex chuckled softly. "I think all parents miss when their babies were but little babies... For me, Jeffery was almost like a child at heart. He used to snuggle with me, too, when he was upset or had a particularly hard day at work..." he sighed slightly.

"I think he should have waited until he was fifty before starting to date—seventy before getting serious like he's been! Though I wouldn't trade the twins for the world." Alan muttered.

"Mmm," Alex made a noise of agreement, glancing out at the window.

"I'm sorry…this must be boring to you." Alan offered.

"Hm? Oh, no! No, not at all! I apologize, I had something on my mind. Do not worry - remember, I am here for you if you need me." he smiled.

"I'm afraid I have never been very social," Alan sighed, "It's alright if talking about my family is boring you. They are just really all I can think to talk about…Trust me, my work is even more boring. I don't get much field work due to my illness."

"No, no, I love hearing about your family! They sound like a wonderful bunch - it makes me envious almost. You have so many loving people in your life - it's to come by that for Reapers in general. As for me, well, all I generally see are injuries and other ailments from morning to night - a bit gruesome to talk about, too."

"But you have the chance at saving lives…my job takes them away, and can be just as gruesome." Alan pointed out, "I had wanted to get into medical, but hadn't scored high enough to be admitted into the Medical Programs."

"Save lives or end them... The medical ward isn't the most angelic nor the most pure thing others make it out to be. More than once I've been ordered to cut the cord on patients... It gets to a point where death is better than letting them suffer..."

Alan shook his head, "All I do is take souls. I couldn't do anything for Ronald when I found him…found him like he is…It's people like you who saved my baby boy, even if you can't save them all, you save who you can."

"I try" Alex managed a small laugh. "I makes me feel like I'm doing something right... something I was destined for... which is odd, considering I used to be a fisherman."


	12. Love isn't always for forever

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 12**

Briella took her brother's hand and pulled him down the dark hall. Alan wasn't home yet—they had already checked their grandparents' empty room. And William was working late, leaving that room empty as well. So the twins hurried a little further down and snuck into their Great-grandfather's and Aunt's room, padding over to the large custom coffin that the two used for a bed and the little girl climbed up before helping Kai up. They then crawled over atop Undertaker and she reached out to touch his scarred cheek.

The silver haired man stirred, blearily opening his eyes to see the toddlers resting on his chest, staring at him with saddened green eyes. With a warming smile, he took them into his arms, rolling over to lay them between him and his redheaded wife, Kai wriggling to snuggle close to his chest. "Can't sleep, little ones?" he purred softly, gently running his fingers through Briella's hair.

Briella shook her head, "We're worried that Mommy won't wake up…and Grandma hasn't come home…or Daddy…" she looked up at him, "How come we can't go spend the night wif mommy?"

"Your mommy needs his rest... But do not fear, he will wake up soon enough and you will be in his arms once again." the man murmured. "Your grandmother must be visiting him still... and Daddy is at work. But Old Unnie is here to protect you, little ones."

The girl gave him a determined look, "Not scared! I'm strong and can scare away scary things!"

A tired chuckle sounded from the redhead, "That you are, Bri…but Unnie's right…your mommy will be home soon enough. He's a resilient young man…"

Kai squirmed out of his great grandfather's arms, moving over to his aunt. "Auntie Grell..." he asked suddenly. "Where's Gwampa?"

Grell hugged the boy, sadly, "…I don't know, darling…we haven't seen him since before you mommy got hurt…" he stroked his fingers through the boy's hair, "Grandma Alan seems to know more, though…"

"I-I heard Gwandma talking to Daddy... H-He said Gwandpa hurt Mommy!"

"Why would Gwandpa hurt mommy? Gwandpa is Mommy's Daddy! Daddies only love, not hurt!" Briella protested.

Kai bit his lip; he didn't, couldn't believe that his beloved Grandfather had put his mother in such a terrible state. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, and a moment later spelt a loud bout of wailing and sobbing from the child.

"It wasn't Gwandpa!" Briella pouted, snuggling into Undertaker.

Grell sat himself up, rocking Kai gently, "Shhh, shh, I'm sure you misheard…maybe he said that your grandpa was going to go find the thing that hurt your mommy?"

The boy shook his head. "Gwandma said 'I can't bewieve Ewic would do that to our son... How could he almost take Wonnie's life away?'"

"But he wouldn't!" Grell comforted, "Eric loves your mommy so much, just like your daddy loves you two… Come here, look at me, Kai…" Grell said, tilting his chin, "Do you think Grandpa Eric would hurt your mommy?"

"No..." Kai sniffled, cuddling into the redhead. "I miss Gwandpa... What if he's lost an' lonely an' scared out dere?"

Grell sighed, "Then I'll send my Unnie out to find him, how about that?"

"Really? You'll do that, Gwampy?" Kai exclaimed, turning to his Grandfather with hope shining in him eyes.

Undertaker chuckled. "I will my dear, and I shall drag him back home again."

"Yay! Gwandpa's comin' home!" the boy cheered, pausing at the sound of the front door opening and Alan's voice floating up from downstairs. "Gwandma's home!"

Scrambling up and out of the coffin, Kai toddled out of the room, cheering happily. "I'm gonna tell Gwandma the good news!"

"Wait, Kai-!" Undertaker sat up, placing Briella in her aunt's arms before following after the boy.

Alan opened the door and turned to Alex, "Thank you, you didn't need to walk me to the door, you know."

Alex waved it off, smiling at the brunet. "Ah, I guess my manners got the better of me, so used to doing it with friends—"

"Gwandma, gwandma! Guess what?" Kai giggled, running up to the man, hugging his legs with Undertaker in tow; the silver haired man paused, giving Alex an odd stare. Spotting the man, Kai gasped, moving to hide behind his grandmother.

"Kai..? Shouldn't you be in bed?" Alan bent down and picked the boy up, kissing his cheek.

Alex smiled slightly, bending down to eye level with the child in Alan's arms. "Hey there, little guy!"

Kai gave him a wary look, shyly nuzzling into his Grandmother whist wrinkling his nose. "You smell funny, like medicine!"

The blond chuckled. "I guess I do-I'm nurse!"

"...You're a nurse?" Kai stared in amazement. "So... You wear a dress then like Auntie Grell does for Gwampy?"

Alex laughed. "No, no, I don't wear a dress. Only scrubs, little man."

"Alex is one of the nice people making sure your Mama is getting all better and can wake up soon." Alan told him.

Kai gasped. "Really?!"

Alex smiled, watching the display between Grandmother and grandson. Seeing the brunet smile, holding the little boy in his arms, made his heart warm. _'That could have been us..._'

"Who the bloody hell are you?"

Blinking, Alex snapped out of his daydream at the sound of a snappish growl. Glancing over, the nurse found himself doing a double take, staring face to face with the looming, legendary Undertaker. "I-I..."

"Father," Alan sighed and looked up at Undertaker, "This is Nurse Alexander. He gave me a ride home from my visit to Ronald."

_'Father_?!' Alex's jaw stood agap, his mind reeling.

"A ride home at this hour?" Undertaker narrowed his eyes, almost glaring at the man. "And what else have you been doing with my baby, my dear Alexander?"

"Nothing, sir! I just took him out to dinner and brought him back!"

"Oh really?" the elder's posture suddenly resembled that of a snake ready to strike. "Are we certaiiinnn?"

"He is." Alan cut in, stepping in front of his father, "Father…I know you never got to do the whole parent thing and raise me because of how mum kept me hidden from you, but honestly, Alex is simply being a helpful Gentleman. It's not like he took me on a date and kept me out after curfew."

Undertaker gave one last glare towards the nervous blond before slinking off into the living room, collapsing into one of the chairs. Alex cleared his throat. "Well... I should probably head out. Early shift tomorrow. I hope you had a good time through."

"Yes, thank you, Alex. Maybe I'll see you again when I go to see Ronald." He nodded, shifting Kai on his hip and closing the door before turning to go into the living room, "Father?"

Undertaker, sitting fuming in his chair, glance up at his son. "Yes, little one?"

"What was that all about?" he asked, sitting down and rocking Kai to sleep, the poor little boy being so tired that he was already starting to drift off with his cheek resting on Alan's shoulder.

"... Nothing. Nothing for you to worry about..."

Kai hummed slightly. "Gwandma...Gwampy said he's gonna find Gwandpa an' bring him home again!" The boy giggled, cuddling happily into Alan. "We can be a family 'gain!"

A sad look dawned on Alan's face, and he hugged the boy. Oh how he did wish they could be a close family again…

Undertaker, seeing his son's sorrow, reached out, gently guiding the man into his lap. Wrapping his arms around the brunet, he pressed a kiss to his head, resting him against his chest like a father would a child. Like he had done for Grell, and for William years before.

They sat in silence, and once Alan was sure Kai was fast asleep, he finally spoke, "…I'm not so sure our family can be mended…" he said in a low whisper.

"Sshhh... It's going to be alright. I have no idea why he decided to do such a thing, but Eric is a right bastard for toying with your heart and breaking the spirits of his child and grandchildren... I can tolerate many things, but one I cannot stand is harm in any way shape or form to my children. Still... I cannot help but feel there is another reason behind all this..."

"I don't understand it…everything was so perfect…and then all of a sudden…he starts sneaking around and—and hurting Ronnie? I couldn't believe it, but he insisted it had been him…he hasn't even gone in to visit Ron in the hospital…"

"What happened after you brought Ronnie to the hospital?"

"What do you mean? I took Ron to the Hospital, and he was taken into surgery…and had his first Thorns attack…William and I already told you and Grell that."

"My dear, I was referring to your husband" the Undertaker corrected.

"O-oh…" Alan looked down at the messy hair atop Kai's head, "…I've no idea…I haven't heard from him…and when I tried calling him—I found his mobile phone sitting in our room…"

The silver haired man said nothing more, merely rubbing his son's back.

Alan sighed, "…I can't blame him if he wanted to leave me…taking care of me every time I have an attack…I just wish he could have said something, rather than keep me in the dark about it…but…what he did to our son…" he hugged Kai a little tighter, almost thinking the boy was his Ronald.

Pressing a reassuring kiss to Alan's forehead once again, Undertaker stood, carrying the brunet in his arms. "Come my dear, time for bed" he announced, moving towards the stairs.

"…I'm not a child, I can put myself to bed…" he muttered.

His father ignored him, walking up the stairs and into the man's shared bedroom.

Once Alan was laid down on his bed, and he tucked Kai in next to him, sitting on the edge and pulling off his shoes, he glanced at Undertaker, "…I wonder…what went wrong…how our marriage crumbled so quickly…"

Undertaker sat next to him, sighing gently. "Son... Not all marriages last and neither does love. You could meet someone you think is the most amazing and bloody right person in the entire Realm, only to later learn what a ghastly horror they turn out to be..." he trailed off, his old mind wandering and getting lost in his past…

-x-

_"Vincent, come here, darling."_

_A young Undertaker heard his mother call for him, and he pushed himself up off the floor, picking up his favorite toy, a wooden duck with wheels, before running over into the next room, looking up at his mother with a wide smile upon his seven-year-old face, "Yes, Mama?"_

_His mother—a beautiful reaper with long brown hair and a fair, gentle face—smiled down at him, stroking his identical brown hair which fell freely around his face, almost reaching his shoulders. The woman was a strong independent woman, having raised him alone as her husband had been killed by a demon before she had given birth to their son. He was her world—and she was his._

_She turned him around and held his shoulders so that he could look at their guests from Germany, "Darling, this is Mister Krause, and his son Hans. Hans is a pureblood reaper just like you." She said gesturing to the tall imposing German and his son, who looked to be around fourteen._

_"Hello!" Vincent grinned, holding out his hand to the two Germans, "I'm Vincent Cronos!"_

_"Hans Krause, first year student at the Berlin Academy, son of Chlothar Krause, heir to the Krause name." the older boy said in curt, sharp manner, though his eyes twinkled with amusement. "He's seems cute enough."_

_"…Cute enough for what?" Vincent asked, looking at the older boy curiously, and then up at the two adults._

_His mother lifted her skirts as she kneeled down so that she was closer to his level, "Darling, Mister Krause and I have been talking for some time…about you and Hans."_

_"What about us?" he asked again, rocking back and forth on his heels and toes, holding his toy duck's pull-string._

_"Well…" she sighed and pushed his hair back behind his ear, "You know how I had married your daddy?"_

_"Gave you the shinny ring." He nodded._

_"Yes," she laughed, "He gave me my ring…and you." She kissed his temple and looked over at Hans, "We have talked about you and Hans getting married like your daddy and I. You two would make a smart match once you are older. And being both purebloods, chances are you two would have luck on your side of having a child of your own to raise."_

_"…Would I be the mommy or the daddy?" Vincent asked after some thought. He'd grown up knowing that reaper men had just as much of a chance at having a child than a woman had, so it didn't much cross his mind over the fact that they were both boys._

_"The mutti - vatti and your mutti have agreed that I vould be the vatti and you the mutti. But you vill make a vonderful one, and a beautiful bride." Hans smiled at him, the gesture warm and friendly._

_"…'Vatti'? 'Mutti'?" he looked up at his mother for help, and the woman laughed._

_"They come from Germany, sweetie. He's saying he plans on you mothering the child you two make together. Though—" she glanced at the German boy, "Vincent is still a male, Hans, he will be your husband, as you will be his. Two grooms. He'll only take on the title of 'mother' as is his right being the one to carry the child to term."_

_"So I'll be like you, Mum?" Vincent asked, and then smiled, "I don't care which one I am, both sound fun!" he looked at Hans and walked over to him, taking his hand and smiling at him, "We can be really good friends!"_

_"Ja!" the other boy laughed, grinning widely. "Ve vill be the best of friends!"_

_"Come on! I'll show you my favorite spot!" Undertaker grinned, leading the older boy by the hand out to the vast backyard._

_Vincent's mother chuckled, "They seem to get along well. This will be the best match for them." She smiled at Hans' father._

_The man chuckled, watching the two children with an air of contentment. "Indeed, they do. I believe they fit vell together." he said._

_Outside, Vincent pulled Hans to his favorite part of the garden, and he pulled off his boots and socks, sitting down on a short dock and dangled his feet in the water of a small pond, watching the fish swim, "Mummy said this is the spot Father had given her the shinny ring. So I like this spot the most." He grinned, "Do you have a Mummy waiting for you at home, Hans?"_

_Hans shook his head, sitting on the old wooden dock next to Vincent. "Mutti passed away when I was small... Vatti has been the only one taking care of me." he said._

_"My daddy's gone too…Never knew him…" he leaned back, propping himself up with his arms and looking at Hans, "Maybe that's why you'll make the better daddy and I the mommy when we grow up to be big strong reapers!" he grinned and let out a giggle, "What kind of games do you like?"_

_"I like all game, but mostly football" the other grinned. "I'm the best football player in my neighborhood! Vatti says that's a good thing, because it means I am strong!"_

_"I like playing cricket with the other boys who live around here. They say I have a good swing, and Mum says that it can help me later when I learn how to use a scythe." He grinned and sat up, grabbing a stray stick floating in the water and swinging it like a sword, "I also can fence! But people don't like dueling with me because they say I cheat… but I don't! I just take advantage of opportunities!"_

_"That's a good thing - it means you are a good fighter!"_

_The younger boy grinned at the praise from his future husband. Arraigned marriages were common at the time, and he wanted to make the most of his. He wanted to please his betrothed and he wanted to grow to love and be loved by him._

_Hans, in turn, smiled and took the boy's hand, gently guiding him to his feet, just as he had seen his father do to his mother years ago. He would become a man, like his father said, strong and powerful to protect his family and all that mattered to him. He would protect Vincent, his beloved bride._

_-x-_

_Vincent smiled as he dashed out of his bedroom and down the hall. His long hair tied back in a ponytail flying behind him. The brown locks longer and going down his slender but muscular back. Today was the day—at last, Hans was coming to visit again. The older boy—now a young man, hardly got a chance to go to England, and it had been two years since his last visit. Vincent was a young student of fifteen, and a bright young lad, staying at the top of all his classes. And Hans—Hans had graduated and became a full reaper, age twenty-one._

_The boy skid to a stop in the Entry Hall of his family home, just in time to see the door start to open. His heart began to race when he spotted Hans' handsome face._

_Hans mounted the steps to the old Cronos home, a bouquet of white roses held in his hand. In the other arm, a gift box, carrying a beautiful string of lockets he had forged with his own bare hands. Vincent had always mentioned that he so enjoyed getting homemade gifts, so the man deemed it proper that he follow his future husband's wishes. Seeing Vincent smile upon opening the door, he moved forward, taking the boy into his arms. "Liebe... How I have missed you so."_

_The boy slipped his arms around the man and rested his cheek on his shoulder, "Hans, I've missed you terribly, I hope your travels faired well." He lifted his gaze, blushing ever so lightly as he pressed a kiss to his cheek like he always did when greeting him. However, he did wonder if his betrothed would have minded if he had changed it to his lips, instead—they were both older, now, and Vincent did have the urge…_

_"Fair travels, but it was the thought of you that kept me going..." without another word, he turned his head to the side, capturing his lover in a soft, passionate kiss._

_Vincent melted into the kiss, closing his eyes and pressing into it—this was their first real kiss. Over the years, Vincent had truly fallen in love with the older pureblood, and he was truly dedicated to him. When the other students in his classes began to grow interested in one another, he stayed true to Hans, turning down the invites on dates he'd received by both genders. He reached up, touching Hans' cheek._

_The man, no longer a boy, smiled, holding the soft hand in place with his own. Taking out the gift box, he presented it to the brunet, softly stroking his fingers through his hair._

_"What's this..?" Vincent took the box in his hands and opened it, his eyes widening at the beautiful charms that lay inside, "…Hans…"_

_"I made them for you myself," the brunet said. "I apologize for taking so long, but-"_

_"I love them…they are gorgeous! I'll treasure them always—no matter what!" he gently set the box down on the nearby table and hugged Hans tighter, "I love you, Hans."_

_"As do I, liebe" the man murmured, returning to relaying a slow trail of kisses upon his lover's cheeks, neck and lips. "My darling..."_

_Undertaker took the flowers from his lover, moving over to slip them into a vase, "Mother has been incredibly busy as of late—You know how she's a Doctor, well, we have been having an increase of Angel problems, from what I hear, and she works overtime every night…so we have the place to ourselves…" he blushed lightly._

_Hans moved in behind his fiancé, wrapping his arms around the boy's waist, kissing the shell of his ear. "Only if you wish it so, mein liebe~" he all but purred._

_"Why wouldn't I?" He turned around and looked up at the reaper, "Besides, I'm promised to you, and I'm not a child anymore… Young, yes, but I'm almost sixteen! And in the Human realm girls are married off as young as twelve. I see nothing wrong with spending the night alone with my betrothed. Our parents have our wedding set for right after I finish school, and I've advanced faster than the others…I'll be taking my exam early, so we'll be wed earlier." He pointed out._

_"Just being sure that you are comfortable, liebe..." Hans hummed, wrapping the boy into a tight hug, smashing their lips together in a hungry, almost fiery kiss._

_"I am…with you, I am…" he gasped into the kiss as they stumbled back against the wall. Laughter, smiles…his mother told him that it was all better than gold…and Hans always brought him the best smiles._

_Picking the brunet up into a bridal position, Hans carried him up to the boy's bedroom, peppering a couple more kisses on his neckline. "Liebe...Oh my liebe..."_

_As Vincent was pushed down onto his bed, he pulled Hans with him, grinning ear to ear as he met his betrothed's gaze, "My dear, beloved Hans…"_

_It wasn't long before Vincent's cries filled the room as Hans made love to him ever so gently, but greedily. _

-x-

Undertaker shook the memory from his mind and looked at his son with a small smile, leaning in and pulling him into a strong embrace, "Love isn't always forever as stories like to say they are…but doesn't mean that there are no Happy endings… You are one of my happy endings, my dear, as Ronald is one of yours, and the twins are his…just remember that." He tucked the brunet in next to Kai, "For now…rest up, my darling boy, Tomorrow's a new day."

Alan smiled and nodded, "Goodnight, Father."

"Good night... My darling son" Undertaker whispered, leaning in to place a gentle parting kiss on the smaller's forehead. Lightly gliding from the room, flicking off the light and closing the door as he went, the elder swept back to his own bed, where his lover and granddaughter lay asleep.


	13. Thorns to the Heart

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 13**

Days passed by, and still there remained no sign of life in Ronald, until early one morning, when he had his second attack, nurses swarming his bed to help him through it safely, though he remained dead to the world around him. After he was safe again, a doctor put in a call to William to inform him of Ronald's condition. Alan had happened to overhear the conversation, and he insisted upon leaving work with William to go check on his son himself. William, after a moment of hesitation, agreed, signing both him and Alan out for the day, leaving their paperwork in the hands of Grell and a couple of other Reapers.

Word had gotten out somehow about Eric's violent act, many a fellow Reaper and co-worker were shocked and upset by the news. Eric had always been a rather popular face in the office, particularly with Collections and General Affairs; to hear that the man had tried to near murder his own flesh and blood sent many reeling with horror. It hadn't taken long for stigma to settle in, Eric's name soon becoming mud amongst workers and neighbors alike. Virtually any mention of the sordid Reaper was taboo, as was the idea of seeking out his person and attempting contact with him of any kind. Word eventually reached the Higher Ups, the Council soon releasing an issued wanted price on the man's head, for both his crime and his abandonment of duty to the will of souls.

Clocking out, William adjusted his glasses with his scythe, glancing over at his companion who had clocked himself out just a moment before.

"Lets go…" Alan said, hardly sparing the man a glance as they headed for the family car. He hopped into the driver's seat and waited for William to buckle up before turning on the car and pulling out of the parking spot.

-x-

Ronald lay in his hospital bed, still paler than usual, a monitor recording his vital signs after the particularly rough Thorns attack. Thorns had only just awoken within him, and the doctors hadn't thought he'd have another attack for some time, but were unfortunately proven wrong.

The room was silent, save for the quiet series of beeps coming from the equipment. But Ronald wasn't alone. He had been moved into a new room on the ground floor, one near the gardens, which his window overlooked. And a nurse had opened the window to let him have some fresh air, unknowing that the young man would get a visitor.

Weeks had long past since the day of Ronald's injury, the day Eric's life fell to shambles. Left without a home or place to go, the man was left to wander the woods and countryside, straying as far away from Reaper London as he could. He was a right mess; hair tangled and unkempt, beard growing out, clothes dirtied and torn in several places. To most of whom he had passed in his travels along mortal London, he was the very image of a deranged 'hobo'. Still, he paid humans little heed, keeping to himself and his troubles, wandering about aimlessly in a semi-state of regret and numbness.

Then came the rumors. Upon lurking about by an old bar downtown in his attempt to hopefully forge some food (though, in reality, the man would most likely be taken in by booze... as he had nights and nights before, drowning out his guilt in liquor), Eric happened to eavesdrop on a pair of fellows indulging in a meal outside the canteen.

"Oh yes, have you heard?" one man, rather portly and short, spoke through a mouthful of chicken (oh, how Eric almost drooled at the sight).

"About the Knox boy? Aye, indeed I 'ave... Poor bloke, cripes he got 'imself a right nasty condition..." his companion, a slim and rather tall middle-aged boomer, replied, taking an amble sip of his mead. "Terrible, terrible, and such a shame, too, for such a young one to die such a tragic death..."

"Just like his dear mother" the tall man nodded solemnly.

"Indeed, like poor young Humphries."

Eric felt as if someone had poured cold ice water upon his heart, his breath taken away by shock and horror. 'No... Please, no!' Without another thought, he bolted past, startling the two gentlemen yet ignored their shouts at his retreating person, his head set on returning to the Realm, despite the price and law against him.

Sneaking low and in the shadows, the man moved swiftly and stealthy to the city's main hospital, where his son lay comatose for over a month and a half. Out of all the changes that had occurred since his cursing, the only notion Eric seemed to enjoy was a heightened sense of smell. The ability to sniff out any kind of desired scent from miles away was indeed the most helpful to his situation, aiding the man with the hunt for food and a suitable resting area for long, cold early autumn nights.

Using his nose, he managed to locate and sniff out the painfully familiar scent of Ronald, on the first floor (thankfully; a climb would have been most unwelcome in broad daylight). Wandering about the side of the building, he came across the room in which his baby was being held, the window left almost suspiciously open. Pushing aside his instinctual feeling of uncertainty, he pushed the frame up, slipping into the room without much of a sound.

Ronald lay on his back in his bed, his head resting to the side so that the sun's warm rays fell over his face through the window. To the world; he was dead. Trapped within his sleeping mind. But he was all too aware of the shadow that blocked those warm rays of light and the soft footsteps slowly approaching his bed—as if uneasy. Oh how he wished he could open his eyes, to see who would come through a window. The door to his ward was closed—he had heard it close, and he had been left alone again. So who had come to see him?

Eric swallowed heavily, cautiously approaching the bed, as if frightened by the still body lying underneath the blankets and sheets. Ronald looked like a doll, lifeless and made out of porcelain, and it was that stillness that scared Eric the most. From even a distance, the crude, almost cruel outline of thorny vines interweaving just barely from his wrists could be seen, the essence of the beginnings of a long, harsh disease - a disease that would one day take both his lover and his son away forever into eternal sleep.

Thorns of Death.

Kneeling down beside the bed, inches away from the blond's head, Eric swallowed once again, trying to clear away the lump in his throat. Reaching with a shaky hand, Eric gently stroked the soft blond hair, his voice a bare whisper in the silence. "Ronnie? Are you there? It's Daddy..."

Daddy…Eric…Ronald wanted to wake up, even more than when his mother, his husband, even his children came to visit. He had so many questions. He didn't blame his father. He remembered what had happened…Eric had begged him to leave…and he hadn't. It hadn't been Eric's fault. But still—he had turned into…a lion? It made sense, but didn't at the same time…

Eric shivered, carefully brushing his fingers over his son's soft cheek, his eyes sad and riddled with self-angered guilt. "Oh my baby...I'm so sorry...Daddy is so sorry... I t-tried...tried to k-keep you all safe...f-from me..." To know that the Thorns, Ronald's destroyed future were by his own doing and fault tore relentlessly at Eric's heart. Leaning over, he collapsed beside his son, weeping into his hands uncontrollably.

'_No…no, it's not your fault, dad…you tried…you tried to save me but I was too stubborn…don't cry_…' of course, Ronald's words were trapped within his mind, not even reaching his tongue.

Eric hiccupped, raising his head with shaky breaths, trying to calm his nerves. Tears stained his otherwise filthy cheeks, as he gently hold of one of the blond's hands. "Every full fuckin' moon... I-I can't s-stop it... couldn' cont-trol it!" he swore vulgarly, a tear trickling down his face, splashing upon Ronald's fingers.

A twitch.

Ronald's fingers twitched ever so slightly in Eric's hand when the tear fell upon them. It gave Ronald hope…if only he could open his eyes…

Eric paused, staring as his son's fingers moved slightly in his hold, his breath hitching in his throat. "Ronnie? Baby...?"

Long, silent moments ticked by until finally, Ronald was able to move his head slightly, not much, but enough.

Voices approached the door, and the handle started turning, on the other side, Alan and William, being accompanied by a nurse that had been assigned permanently to Ronald's care—Alex.

Eric had leaned in, placing a kiss on the blond's forehead, before the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears. He froze, glancing up at the door, hearing Alan's worried voice from down the hall. Standing, he spotted a closet off to the side, it's door open a smidge. "I'll be back in a bit, little mouse..." he whispered to his son, moving fast and silently to creep into the hideaway, his weight having dropped since his departure and making it easier to squeeze into tight spaces.

The door opened not a second later, and Alan was the first to rush through the door to Ronald's side, taking his hand in his own, and his gaze lingering on the thorn-vine-like marks on his wrists—so very much like the ones covering his own body. "It's too soon for your second attack…it's only been a month!" he protested gently to the boy. He looked up at Alex, "How bad was it?"

"Rough, but not as bad as the first - still, it was enough to frighten at least half of the staff including myself." the blond admitted, moving to stand beside the brunet, resting a hand on his back. "Are you alright?"

Inside the closet, Eric fidgeted, uncomfortable with the cramped space, yet forced to remain still and watch the display before him. His eyebrow rose at the sight of the blond, the closing space between him and Alan imposing as a slight warning signal in his mind.

"I'm fine, Alex…Just worried…Thorns are slow-moving, and they are slowest when they first make themselves known…yet Ron's had two attacks in two months? That's too fast for this stage in the illness…" Alan said, subconsciously leaning into the nurse. He glanced over at William who stood at Ronald's other side, a solemn look upon his face. "I'm sorry, William…I had wished Ronald had been safe from all this—that you would not know the pain I know Eric had felt knowing I had this illness…"

William said nothing, merely kneeling beside his lover's face, gently stroking the soft blond lock, just as Eric had done.

Silence fell in the room as they all focused their attention of the sleeping blond, and then, Alan sat down in a chair, "I don't know how much longer we can stand this…I can't believe Eric would do this…and he hasn't even come to see if Ronnie's okay—not once…"

From inside the closet, Eric bit his lip. Oh, how he wanted so bad to burst out of the closet, to prove the claim wrong, to prove that he cared, that he was sorry.

Seeing Alex once again invade Alan's space, far too close for comfort, he twitched, an uneasy feeling welling inside of him. _'Who the hell are you and what are doing to me mate_?!'

Alan looked up at Alex, and reached over to take his hand, "Promise me you'll call the second he wakes up?" it was something he had asked before, but he couldn't help but repeat the request.

Alex chuckled, leaning in to press a kiss to the brunet's cheek. "Of course, darling!"

Eric's breath seemed to hitch and steal away, his heart slowing to an almost stop as nerves and blood turned to ice, his face paling over. Eyes went wide, in disbelief, shock, horror, and pain at the sight before him. Something ached inside, a terrible pang of the heart as the horrible realization set in. No...no! He didn't want to believe, couldn't believe it - yet, deep down, he knew the truth and that in the end, it was by his own doing. All he could do was watch as this new man slowly took over his lover's life, pushing him away to the side like a spec of dust to a broom.

Alan's face flushed, "A-Alex!" he protested, touching his cheek where he'd been kissed. Since meeting the nurse, Alan had been slowly growing closer to the man. He was alright right there to support him, and to care for Ronald. Thinking back, Alan didn't know when they had turned from 'this is not a date', to 'So, how about I pick you up at six? It's a date'. In some ways, it felt too fast for Alan…but his father had been right…sometimes love doesn't work out, but that doesn't stop all happy endings. Maybe moving on was the best thing for him.

Eric felt as if something inside of him cracked, pain squeezing at his heart like a python, draining the life from his very being. Sorrow, anguish and anger flooded him, at himself, at Alan, at this man making a move on his beloved husband. In the depths of his pain, the Lion grieved silently, watching helplessly as bit by bit, his entire life was stolen away.

Another fifteen minuets ticked on by, and finally, Alan stood up, "We should take lunch and return to work, William… If we stay out too much longer we'll both get overtime and won't be able to come back tonight."

William nodded, though reluctant to leave his lover's side. Standing, he brushed his pants off, leaning over to press a gentle kiss to the boy's forehead, pausing as a rather unpleasant smell wafted through the air.

"Thank you, Alex, for taking care of Ronald when we can't be here for him." Alan nodded to the nurse, then reached over to brush Ron's hair with his fingers, "My sweet baby boy…please wake up soon…"

Alan glanced at William, "What's that look for?"

"Do you smell that?" the man inquired, pulling a face a kin one of distaste and irritation.

"Smell what?" Alan rolled his eyes and bent over to kiss his son's head, pausing as the smell drifted up to his own nose. "…How long has it been since Ron's had a sponge bath?" he asked, glancing at Alex.

"Just this morning, why?" Alex asked in confusion, before the smell finally hit him. "Ugh! Oh, that's disgusting! Probably one of the newbies forgot to clean the bedpans again!"

"I hope you see that it's fixed…" Alan sighed, opening the window wider to help air out the room before the three of them left, closing the door behind them, and missing that tears had started to run down Ronald's cheeks.

The boy had tried so hard the whole time to awaken himself, and the tears were that of frustration. His fingers twitching again.

From inside the closet, Eric's soft, quivering sobs could be heard, though only to the boy lying still in bed.

Time ticked on by, and Ronald finally—finally managed to open his eyes, the blur of bright light burning them and forcing them closed again with a groan of protest.

Eric had since left the closet, his eyes slightly red and puffy, moving back to his place beside his son. Resting his head on his arms, a mourning expression upon his face, he paused and tilted his head to the side at the sound of a small groan. "Ronnie..?"

"D—addy…" Ronald croaked out, trying again to open his eyes, slower so that they could grow used to seeing again.

Eric's head shot up, scrambling as he took hold of his son's hand, his breathing heavy and sharp. His son, his baby boy was waking up!

Ron's fingers twitched in his father's hold, "…Daddy…don't…go…"

Eric bit his lips, leaning forehead to kiss the boy on the cheek, thanking the Gods for letting his son come back to him. "Oh Ronnie... Ronnie... Yer awake... It's okay, Daddy's here..."

"…Not…not your…fault…" he husked out, he wanted to say more, but his dry throat was limiting him greatly.

Eric, however, shook his head. "No... It is... It's my fault. If only...I had been more careful... more honest..." he lowered his head in shame.

"Daddy…" He gave his father's hand a weak squeeze, "honest…yes, but…" he paused, swallowing in attempt to wet his throat, "…it wasn't you…you aren't…a monster."

Eric swallowed thickly, gazing at his son with sad eyes. Despite everything that had happened, that had come between them, Ronald still forgave his father. His baby understood.

"Why…did you leave home?" he whispered.

Eric was about to answer when the sudden click of a doorknob made him freeze.

Ronald slowly turned his head to look at the door, swallowing again to wet his throat.

Eric's grip on his son's hand tightened just a mere smidge, knowing it was already too late by the time the door swung open, a familiar blond sauntering inside.

Alex looked startled, seeing not only Eric in the room, but seeing Ronald awake. "Well…this is unexpected…." He said, closing the door behind him, "You smell horrid, Slingby."

"So I gather," the older man growled, narrowing his eyes dangerously at the blond. "Nice to see you again, Gillison." The words, though a greeting in another meaning, were spat with venom and distaste, as if acidic to the tongue.

"Now, now, lets not have any hostilities. This is a place of healing, after all. Besides, you are a wanted man. I only need to alert others as to the fact you are here, and you'll be facing the courts faster than you can blink."

Eric glared at him, yet said nothing more, focusing his attention once again on his beloved son. Gently stroking his hair, he did his best to reassure the newly awakened blond, paying little heed (or trying in vain to) to the opposing man on the opposite end of the room.

The nurse walked to the sink and filled a paper cup with water, offering it to the young reaper, "You've been out for a long time, I'm sure this'll be welcome?" He helped Ronald sit up and drink.

"…Thank you…but don't think I approve of you putting the moves on my mum!"

Alex raised an eyebrow, "Know about that, do you?"

"Just because I couldn't move or speak doesn't mean I couldn't hear."

"I dun like what yer pullin' here either... I dun really know who ya are or what ya want, but stay away from m' Alan!" Eric warned, gently tugging his son away from the blond.\

"I think it's up to Alan on whether or not I stay away from him, and like it or not you son is under my care, and I'd appreciate it if you stop man-handling him. You've hurt him enough."

Eric snarled, canines sharper than the average man's - since his first transformation, his teeth had become slightly sharper, almost into pairs of fangs.

"You have quite the temper, haven't you? No wonder Alan's moving on so quickly. I had thought it'd take months to get to this point with him. I wonder…have you ever raised a hand to him? Obviously you have no problem with violent acts upon your family."

"My Father is not violent! He's never hurt anyone!" Ron cut in.

"Anyone but you?"

"Father tried to save me, nothing more, so sod off you git."

Eric felt his hackles rise, his temper rising to almost climatic points. He gripped the side of the bed, an expression of loathing on his face. "Alan... I have never once raised a hand against Alan or my family!"

"Yet you put your only son in a coma." Alex leaned in so that only Eric could hear his second statement, "The son that should have been mine." The air in the room seemed to still, Alex's gaze suddenly becoming icier, more sinister.

Eric stared at him, unease settling in the pit of his stomach. "The 'ell are ya talkin' about?"

"Can you deny it? Look around you, Ronald just awoke from a coma after an attack you, yourself admitted to. You had everything. You took everything from me when you stole Alan away, and now you have thrown it all away… You can't blame me for picking up the pieces of Alan's broken heart. I can give him what he needs."

"Like hell ya can!" Eric just about roared his anger at its spiking point. Yet, deep down, some part of him knew the other blond was right. Alan had been extremely hurt and torn by his 'betrayal', even more so when Eric had refused to return home after the attack on his son or so it seemed. When he thought about it, Alex was right - he had thrown his life away, tossed his future into the garbage out of cowardice and fear. Was he really what Alan deserved?

"You showing up again will only hurt him more." Alex continued, fixing Ronald's pillows so he'd be propped up more comfortably, "I suggest you leave, and don't come back. I won't be so quiet next time I see—or smell you."

"No!" Ronald cried out, holding his father's hand tighter, "Daddy—don't go!"

Eric clenched his fist, torn between two halves. His family, his Alan, meant the world to him... His baby, little Ronald, was worth more than money could buy, more than words themselves could say. And yet... all he seemed to do was put the ones he loved through more pain... Taking Ronnie's hand, he knelt down beside him, a saddened look upon his face. He reached out, slowly, running worn and dirtied fingers over the boy's cheek, comforting him one last time.

"P-Papa…no…"

"You realize, Ronnie, that your father is a criminal. If he stays with you he'll he taken to jail for what he did." Alex cut in.

"No! It wasn't him! I'm a witness! I can—"

"Can…what? He confessed his crimes against you. You, poor boy, are emotionally compromised. You do not remember things correctly. An _unfortunate_ result of such a traumatic betrayal from the man you called 'Father'."

Eric started, his head shooting up to glare angrily at the man. Just what was he trying to pull?

"Don't give me that look…I mean no harm. I just want whats best for _my_ Alan."

Eric didn't believe his words, not in the slightest - but what choice did he have? Looking at his son, he reached out, pulling the boy into a firm yet gentle hug, stroking his hair with shaky hands. Resting his chin on the mop of soft blond hair, he exhaled, a tear slipping down his cheek, knowing that this would be the last time he would ever see Ronald again. "Be safe..." he whispered.

"Dad—dad, no…" Ronald begged in a rough whisper, clinging as best he could to the man in desperate need of a shower. "Don't go…please don't go!"

Eric held him tighter, shuddering slightly as his heart seemed to rip even more into two. "I love you... My sweet baby..." he choked, burying his face briefly into the boy's hair, trying to get all he could from this final moment. "Dun... Dun ever forget Daddy..."

"Dad…"

"Oh, he won't forget his father…until the day he dies." Alex hissed and leaned into Eric's ear again, "But are you sure you are the father he'll remember?"

Eric said nothing, delivering one last kiss to Ronald's cheek before pulling away, moving towards the open window. Pausing for a moment, he glanced back. "Ya can say all ya wan'... Ronnie ain' no idiot, not like ya... He knows his heritage, and should you forget, it'll be yer own damn downfall..." Turning back to his son, he gazed at him with loving, sorrowful eyes. "Take care o' yerself, little mouse... Daddy loves you... I always have an' I always will..." Without another word, he slipped out the window and was gone.

"D-dad—no—wait!" Ronald watched helplessly as the man disappeared. He whimpered, and turned a tearful glare onto Alex, "Why'd you do that? What did my dad ever—_ever_ do to you?"

"Everything... He stole the most precious thing from me, and now, I have it back."

The blond scowled, "My mother is not a 'thing'! He wasn't stolen! You can't steal a person—he chose my dad!"

"Because I never had the chance to show him what I had to offer! Your damned buffoon of a father stepped in my way before I had any opportunity!"

"…You are a really pathetic man." Ronald said, voice low with warning, "And a sore looser. And don't you _ever_ insult my father. He is far greater of a man than you can ever hope to be."

"Great? Ha! The only 'great' thing that man was ever capable of was learning to speak proper English!"

"How dare you." Ronald growled, moving to get up and punch the man square in the jaw, but soon finding his body was too weak to do much, let alone stand, walk and land a proper punch. He could hardly lift himself from the pillows propping him up.

Alex seemed to smirk. "Having trouble, little one?" he cooed sickly sweet, casting a sideways glance towards a needle sitting on the nightstand. "Now, now, we can't have you moving much. Your body may... paralyze itself."

Ron narrowed his eyes, "Shut up. You aren't fooling anyone! I'm telling Mum everything!" his fingers twitched with rage at not being able to do more than talk at the nurse.

Alex made a face. "Ooohhh... That might be a problem... You see, Ronald..." Walking over to the side of the bed, he grabbed the needle, filled it with a drug, and with lightning speed, stabbed it into the blond's neck. "We cannot have that either. As much as it pains me to do this as your step-father, I'm afraid your mother cannot hear the truth... Think about it from this perspective..."

He knelt down towards the blond, expression softening. "You see... I have no idea if you have heard during your comatose state, but your mother is on the brink of death itself. Since your father's betrayal and your fall into sleep, your poor mother has been suffering a stage of harsh and deadly attacks from the Thorns of Death. From what the doctors have been saying, any amount of stress or shock, any at all, could trigger another attack... a final one. One more little twinge... and he falls into eternal sleep. You wouldn't want to do that now would you? Cause the trigger to put your poor, grieving mother to rest forever, after he has been so stricken by the news that his poor little baby boy has been burden the same curse as he doth don?"

Ron gasped, reaching up to fight Alex, but the drug was too quick in affecting him, "You…lie…Bloody git…" He struggled to keep his eyes open, trembling with the effort.

"Sweet dreams, little one..." the man hummed, running a hand through the boy's hair. "When you awaken, you shall find yourself rather... swollen tongued~"

The Blond made a noise of protest, but finally the drug won out and he slipped back into sleep, slumping against the pillows.

Alex simply continued to stroke the boy hair until he was certain he had drifted off, moving to fluff the pillows before leaving, closing the door behind him with a cunning smile.


	14. Awakened

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 14**

Alan walked into the hospital early the next morning. He hadn't been able to visit again after work due to overtime, but he didn't have work until later that day with the late shift, leaving him time to go visit his son and Alex. William had the early morning shift, and they had agreed to simply exchange places at the office and at Ronald's bedside when the time came.

The twins, having no school on a Saturday, ran strait down the halls and into their mother's room ahead of Alan. Alex usually watched the twins while Alan left for work and before William got out of work, or vice-versa.

The brunet walked over to Alex's desk in one of the offices, greeting him with a smile, "Good morning."

Alex looked up from his desk, smiling slightly. "Good morning!"

"I brought you some breakfast. I know you were working late and had to come back in early." He held up a paper sack, inside which was some of his home-made muffins, some eggs, and bacon. He set it down on the man's desk and leaned against it, "How's my baby doing?"

"Cheers!" the man grinned, reaching into the sac to pull out a muffin, sinking his teeth into it. "Good news - Ronald's awake."

As if on cue, a loud squeal and cry of joy sounded from the blond's room down the hall, shouts of "Grandma, come quick!" soon to follow.

"He is—when did he—Ronald…" Alan turned on his heel, hurrying out of the shared office and down to Ronald's room, his heart nearly stopping when he say Ronald sitting up in bed, hugging the twins to him as they clung to him tight, never wanting to let go of their mama. The blond had tears on his cheeks as he hugged him, but his movements seemed sluggish and weak.

"Ronnie…" The brunet hurried over, sitting on the edge of the bed and joining the hug, "My Little Mouse, your back…finally, you're back…"

Alex stood in the doorway, smiling at the little family, his eyes drifting over to give the blond a flash of a warning glance.

Kai cuddled into his mother, burying his face into his chest, sniffling. "Sorry Mommy... We twied to find Gwandpa, but he never came home!"

Ronald held his children tighter. He couldn't speak; literally. Whatever Alex had injected him with had taken the ability away. He kissed Kai's forehead, and then Briella's cheek, not knowing how to convey what he needed to say. Though he shot a glare at Alex.

"Mama, are you okay? Did Gwampa really hurt you?" Briella asked and Ronald shook his head.

"I knew it! I knew Gwandpa wouldn't really hurt Mommy!" Kai cheered.

"Poor boy's rather confused," Alex explained in a low voice to Alan. "He awoke last night, but it appears that your husband's attack affected not only his physical state but also his brain and his mental state. At the moment, he has no ability to speak and his functions are slowed and dulled - though I believe we can blame the last one on the Thorns."

Ronald shot the nurse another glare, gathering his son in his arms as Briella pulled away and dug through her pockets.

The little girl pulled out a squished and wilted flower, "Kai and I gotted you this!" She said, holding it out, "So you can get better and come home! Aunt Gwell said Flowers help!"

Ron smiled and took the flower from her before pulling her into a hug once more.

Alan stood up, combing his fingers through Ronald's hair before walking over to Alex so that they could talk about Ronald's condition. "It won't be permanent…will it?"

"That I do not know... I shall run some more tests, but hopefully it should clear up soon... Though, I think the mental state will be more of an issue. At the moment, he is thoroughly convinced his father is an idol and the mark of innocence, the poor thing - the trauma has affected his memory state."

"He's always looked up to Eric…they were close his whole life…It must have only added to how traumatic the betrayal was…" Alan sighed and glanced back at Ronald. "Is there anything we can do to help him?"

"For now, just play along, slowly ease the truth back into his mind. Too fast may confuse him, but we must take care not to tarry either - slack will end up making the issue worse."

Alex looked over at the blond, smiling at him with a faux kindness.

Ronald twitched and swiftly, though slowly, extending his middle finger at the nurse, holding it firm. He wasn't mad. He wasn't mentally unstable. And he would not let this man make him doubt himself—and he wouldn't let the man have and deceive his mother.

"Ronald Oliver!" Alan gasped, having turned around just in time to see his son flip off the nurse.

Alex stared at the boy, an eyebrow raised. Inside, he was howling with laughter, at the stupidity of but a mere child. 'Really_, boy? You think you can do anything now?_'

"Ronald, stop acting like a child. This man has been taking very good care of you in the past month. I know you hate hospitals, but that is no excuse." Alan stated, walking over to the bed.

Ronald opened his mouth to protest, but no sound came out.

"Mista Nurse is nice!" Briella nodded, "You'll see, mama!"

"Yeah! Gwell said he might be our 'new gwandpa'! We'll have two gwandpas then!" Kai piped up.

Ronald's heart nearly stopped. No…no! This was way too soon for that, even if it was too late to save his parents' relationship…it had still only been a month according to everyone! And this man of all people? No. No he would not stand for it!

Kai crawled back into his mother's lap. "Mommy? You okay?" he asked, tugging on the blond's gown.

Ronald held his son and daughter, inwardly fuming at the whole situation and his lack of being able to do anything…if only he could get a pen and paper… Resting his chin on Kai's head, he looked out the window, wishing his father hadn't run off.

Alex moved forward, resting a hand on the blond's shoulder. "I know this is hard on you... But you will get better, I promise." Such empty words they were.

Ronald reacted at the touch, elbowing the nurse in the face, managing to hit his nose surprisingly hard. Sure, it was a childish thing to do, but what else could he do? He grabbed the man's tie when Alex was distracted by the pain, and he yanked him forward, glaring his silent threat into his eyes.

"Ronald! That's enough!" Alan scolded.

Alex barely held himself back from swearing as the blond's elbow collided sharply with his nose, blood spurting out down the front of his face. He gagged as the boy yanked him by the tie, staring straight into angry green eyes, blood dribbling down from his chin to the floor.

Kai and Briella fell back against the bed, startled by their mother's suddenly violent actions, the little boy letting out a loud bout of crying while his sister merely stared terrified at Ronald

Ron didn't back down. Alex needed to know how serious he was. This was his family, and this man was not what was best for his broken-hearted mother—his mother needed to know the truth about Eric.

"Ronald! That is quite enough! What has gotten into you?" Alan hissed, helping Alex up and handing him a handkerchief as he fixed his tie, "I'm so sorry, Alex…"

"I-It's fine" the man muttered, hissing slightly at the sting. "I've had worse, trust me..."

_'You little brat...'_

"Come on, I'll help you get cleaned up…" Alan said, guiding him out of the room, leaving Ronald and the twins alone.

Ronald grit his teeth, gripping the sheets covering his legs as tears of frustration welled up in his eyes and began to fall.

"Mommy...?" Briella tried, easing her brother into a sitting position.

Ronald sniffled, and looked up with tear-blurred vision at his children and he held his arms out. He wanted them to understand…

Sniffling, Kai and Briella edged closer to their mother, falling into his arms and cuddling close. Briella whimpered, reaching up to catch a single tear falling down the blond's cheek. "Mama? Why are you cryin'?"

_'Little mouse? Wha's wrong, love? 'Ere, come ta Daddy, tell me wha' got ya springin' a leak..._'

Ron hugged them close, silently choking on his tears as they turned from frustration to pain as he remembered how his father would always make things better.

"I really do apologize, Alex. Ronnie's never acted this way before…not even when he was going through his early teens…" Alan said as he helped Alex with his bloody nose in the nearest supply room.

"Ah... It's no big deal. A lot of patients tend to lash out at times, more so when I am around." he joked lightly, chuckling slightly. "Ack... Doesn't make it hurt less, though."

Alan brushed a lock of hair from the nurse's face, "I'll have a talk with him about it. There is no reason for his actions against you."

Alex smiled warmly at the brunet, leaning in to press a soft kiss to the man's cheek. "Leave him be to cool off for now." he advised, resting his forehead against Alan's, relishing in the warmth shared between them.

"He's like his father…he broods, rather than calms." Alan shook his head.

"Mmm... He'll calm down eventually, I am sure," Alex hummed. "I may request some therapy for him, just to help ease him back on track."

"Thank you, I just want what's best for him…" the brunet looked up at Alex, "I'm sure he'll come around. He's only just woken up, after all."

"I believe he will. I have hope" Alex smiled, daring to brush a loose strand of hair from Alan's face.

Alan blushed and looked out the open door, "Eric hurt us all…Ronald most of all…I fear what it's done to Ronnie in the long-run…"

"Shhh," the blond soothed the brunet, rubbing his arm in a comforting manner. "It's alright, everything will work out fine in the end."

"…I hope so…" Alan slumped forward, resting his forehead on Alex's shoulder, "I can't loose my baby too…"

Alex blinked slightly in surprise, yet braved wrapping his arms around the smaller man, softly caressing his back.

Alan stood in the embrace in silence, the seconds ticking by unnoticed. But finally, he pulled away, "I should go see him…it's been a month since he's been awake…"

Alex nodded, fixing his glasses briefly before guiding the brunet out back into the blond's room, an arm around his waist.

Briella looked up when the two reentered the room, "Gwandma! Mama won't stop crying…an' and he won't tell us why he's sad!"

Kai merely whimpered, constantly trying to dry his mother's eyes with his coat sleeve.

Ronald only hugged his children tighter, hiding his face into their shoulders.

Alan pulled away from Alex, hurrying over and stroking Kai's hair, "Your mama can't talk right now; Nurse Alex said it's because of what happened to him, he's likely frustrated." He sighed and lifted Ronald's chin, "My little mouse…it'll be okay, I promise." He kissed his son's forehead.

A knock sounded out of the blue, a familiar grinning figure standing in the doorway. "Mind if I come in to see my grandson, my dear?"

"Gweat Gwampa!" Mommy's awake but sad and can't talk!" Kai pouted, rushing over to the Undertaker and pulling on his robes, "I think he misses Gwampa."

Undertaker scooped the little boy up into his arms, strolling over to the bed like a ghost. "Sad? We can't have that now; no we can't!" Sitting on the edge, the silver haired elder leaned in, reaching up to cup his grandchild's face, long black nails brushing against the skin. "Come, my dear, tell old Undertaker what troubles you." he soothed, bangs falling to the side to reveal a pair of ancient yellow-green eyes.

Ronald's eyes moved over to Alex, narrowing.

Undertaker took a sideways glance towards the blond, saying nothing but throwing a sharp look the man's way - he understood the boy's dislike. He himself was not pleased with the man's advances on his eldest son, going from 'friends' to 'boyfriends', or so it seemed. Pulling the blond into a hug, he pressed a kiss to his forehead, murmuring softly so only the youth could hear him. "It's alright, little mousie... I don't like him either..." He paused for a moment to run a hand through Alan's soft brown hair, coaxing him slightly.

Alan leaned in with a sigh as the twins crawled around,, finding more comfortable places to sit as they watched the older men hug.

"We need Gwampa." Briella said, "He is funny and always makes things happy!"

"Yeah, like when he set his beard on fire!" Kai giggled.

"That wasn't funny." Alan sighed, "His jokes about it afterwards were."

"An' Gwandpa hasn't twied to smoke 'homemade cigarettes' since!" Kai concluded with a giggle, his sister laughing against her mother. "He used a lighter an' lit his hair on fire too! It went WHOOOOOSSSSH!"

Ron gave a small smile at the memory; '_Dad…we need you to come back home to us…_'


	15. Captured

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 15**

Eric ran through the woods, cursing as a branch managed to snag him by the shoulder. Behind him, a series of howls and pants echoed, wolves darting back and forth between the trees, their yellow eyes glowing with hunger. His scythe long lost months before; the blond was completely helpless to face the wild animals, his state having worsened in the month after visiting his son. The wind nipped at his skin and chilled his bones, body slowly becoming thinner and more worn as time went on, the man's strength waning.

Coming into a familiar set of trees, he felt a horrid tingle in his nose, a disgustingly recollecting scent overpowering the damp forest - mandrake. Sneezing, he tripped, sending himself spiraling down into a ditch, the wolves not but ten feet from his body.

The sounds of shouts sounded, and the wolves halted before turning tail. Men rushed out of the trees and Grabbed Eric, holding him up, "Is this the one?"

A figure holding an umbrella low, his face shrouded by its shadow smirked, "It's been a while, Slingby." He raised his head and umbrella so that the light could find his face, a triumphant look in Alex's eyes, "You were quite difficult to hunt down."

Eric groaned slightly, stirring as he was lifted from the earth and ferns, glancing up to see the face of one of his now most loathed enemies. "Wha' do ya want...?" he growled slightly.

"I need to ensure you do not interfere with my relationship with Alan, and seeing how loyal your son is to you, he's turning out to be problem enough without having to worry about you. I simply wish to remove you permanently from the picture before I move on to poor dear Ronnie. He's still in the Hospital, you know…still in my care. And the poor dear seems to have lost all ability to speak." He purred.

Eric's head shot up, staring in shock and anger at the man before him. Emotion churned inside of him, at the thought of his poor Ronnie, his poor baby, having to deal with this slimeball, and what the monster had done to him. "You... you bastard." he snarled, struggling against his hold. "Ya son of a bitch! Wha' have ya done ta m' baby!"

"Nothing lasting, just an experimental drug I'm testing on him. He's grown so weak he can't resist the injection anymore. I don't have to work fast, which is good. It means that the needle doesn't go into anything that would cause him more pain. But I need to find some other way to keep him quiet… there seems to be some dangerous side effects he's been having…it triggers attacks once a week…strange how Thorns react to things, don't you agree?" he laughed, "Just today he had two attacks. One from his injection, and the other from the stress and shock of finding out just how close Alan's gotten to me—how much he's forgotten about _you_."

Something inside of Eric snapped. With a strangled roar, he tore away from his captors, breaking the arms of two and sending a third flying. Lunging at the infuriating man before him, his eyes shone with a burning anger - this was his family, his son, that the man was hurting.

His Alan...

"Temper, temper. Honestly," The nurse smirked as he took a simple step back and chains were thrown around Eric, "Do you really think a werecreature has any chance of returning to a normal life?" he smirked, seeing a glimpse of shock on the lion's face, "Oh yes, I know all about it. You see, I recognized the injuries you left on your son right away. Now, these fine men run a circus and a freak show. And they had lost their werelion some months back. They need a new one." he laughed "You should thank me. At least this way you know you won't be able to hurt anyone more than you have."

"You-!" Eric started to shout before a gag was shoved into his mouth, a roar and a growl sounding through the muffling rag.

"C'mon, get 'im in 'ere!" one of the men, a burly middle aged short fellow on the slightly overweight side snapped, his companions (two lanky teenagers, by all appearances) scurrying to yank the creature back, fear evident in their eyes.

"S-Sir, this one seems rather bitey..." the first, a redhead, stammered.

"Blimely, 'e's a right nasty piece o' work!" the second, a brunet, commented, grunting with every tug of the rope.

"Don't worry, Slingby, I'll take good care of _my_ family. My Alan, my grand children…Seems I can't win over your son, but there is always a chance I can replace him with a son or daughter of my own." Alex smirked, "Have fun in your new life~" he taunted.

Eric snarled, bristling with rage, yet unable to do anything more than flip the man the bird, along with any other rude and offensive gesture he happened to know (which, in saying, was a lot, surprisingly enough). Somehow, his strength and endurance was not enough to spare him another chance of escape. Thrown into the back of what appeared to be a boxcar, the man struggled with his chains, withering violently as the door rose up to close, encasing him in darkness.

His muscles bunched, snapping the chains to pieces, the metal flying across the car as his arms sprung free from their bounds. Quick as lightning itself, he tugged vicious at the gag around his mouth, tearing it off with brutal force, though leaving behind a streak of painful red around his face. Working to break the binding around his legs, he scrambled upright, teetering as the car gave a sudden jerk, the sound of a rumbling engine starting up nearby. Eric's eyes widening, a low growl sounding from his throat - no, no!

Racing towards the door, he pawed at it desperately, trying to find a means of escape, yet his effort were sought in vain. In a last resort, he lunged, flinging his body towards the iron wall, ramming it with all his might - not even a dent.

Hours passed, the truck and boxcar rumbling across roads and highways, cars and other vehicles zooming past, Eric all the while trying to free himself despite the danger of a moving crate and the injury he was inflicting upon his own body.

Finally, by late nightfall, when the stars were out and the moon danced just inches away from the tip top of the sky, the car finally came to a stop. Eric, bruised and battered, having given up a long while prior, lay sleeping on the floor, only to be jerked awake by the sudden halt. Lifting his head, blinking blearily, he squinted through darkness and crooked glasses, trying to see. Voices sounded, muffled and quieted, footsteps approaching the boxcar.

A sudden clang made him jump, the door opening with a heavy creak of gears and metal hinges, falling to the ground with a loud thud. Eric braced himself, bunches his muscles and limbs like a crouching cat, ready to spring free to freedom—only to be caught in a blast of magic on his way out, immobilizing him from head to toe, like a living statue. Shifting his gaze to the side, he caught sight of two figures - a small, cloaked stranger - a woman by her stature - holding a wooden staff and the un-amused pot-bellied man.

"Figured 'e'd do that. Nice work there." he grunted, throwing a half-baked praise to the cloaked woman, a magician or mage of sorts (he assumed the second, no normal mortal could perform such a tightening spell). The two boys from earlier moved fast, wrapping him in a sort of binding chain, tougher than the first, sealing him from moving at all.

In the moonlight, and free from movement, Eric could full see most of his captors in full view. The fat man, possibly the leader from what he could gather, was short and beefy, bearing shoulder-length wild graying hair, curly and mused, and a thick handlebar mustache. His clothing, the colors of a kindergartener's finger painting (red, yellow and blue) contrasted brightly; trousers, a waistcoat and jacket, classy shoes and a starred top hat to complete the suit. The two teens both were clad in more casual, normal wear; a simple arrangement of brown trousers and vests, hiding white workshirts and a small black bowtie each.

The redhead, the elder of the two, bore spiky hair (gelled in a typical fashion) and freckles on each cheek, brown eyes staring irritatedly at the blond. His companion, slightly meeker, wore his in a low ponytail, staring back and forth between his brother and their newest werelion. The ringleader snorted, giving Eric an un-amused glanced, before turning on his heel, shouting out into the distance. "Joker!"

"Wha'?" a young man with orangish-red hair stepped out of a tent, looking warn out. he rubbed the back of his neck with a robotic hand attached to his forearm, replacing his missing hand. He was shirtless and looked as if he had been getting ready to turn in for the night. His eyes moved to Eric, and a sad look appeared on his face, "…A new one?"

"Yeah, another one to add t' the lot... Ruddy bastard's a pain 'n the arse though." the man grunted, pushing past the man with a limp - a weak leg, it seemed - heading further past an array of tents and trailers. "Fit asshole 'ere with a collar an' put 'im away... I don't want anymore shit from 'im tonight!"

Eric glared in his direction, seething.

Joker sighed, "…I hate that man…" he looked up at Eric, "…I'm sorry ta have ta be the one ta welcome ye to the new Noah's Arch Circus. My suggestion would be to do as ye're told an' cause no problems. At least then ye'll get a tent space rather than a cage…there's no escaping either way."

Eric grunted, the only thing he was able to do whist being frozen. Slowly, without moving a single muscle, the mage set the blond down, just in time for the brothers to come running back, handing something leathery and suspicious to Joker.

Joker sighed and approached Eric, taking the collar and fastening it about his neck, "These thin's don't come off…we all have one. It's a type of homing device, keeps us from leaving…can't take them off, either. Shocks us if we try."

Eric snorted, ignoring the man's warning, reaching up to touch the device around his throat. Almost immediately, a jolt of electricity shot through his nerves, causing him to yelp and collapse to the ground, sparks flying from his muscles.

"I warned ye for a reason." Joker held out a hand to help him up.

Shakily, Eric took it, hoisting himself up with a grunt, his yellow-green eyes shining in the darkness. "Fuck." he swore. "Dammit all ta 'ell..."

"Trust me, this is Hell." Joker said, leading Eric through the maze of tents, "We are all trapped here. The Ring Master is the only free man here. Though some are loyal to him—most, really."

"Ring master?" Eric question, grunting as his muscles twitched. "Wha' is this, some sort o' prision or somethin'? I thought ya said this was a circus..."

"It's both." Joker said simply, opening the door to a cage, "And this is your cell…until ye prove yourself enough to get a tent."

Eric, however, stood still, giving the man a disbelieving stare that clearly read, "If you think I'm going in there willingly, you've got another thing coming".

"Suit yourself. I'm only doing as I'm told so I don't get another shock today. I'd rather be in bed by now."

"...Wait" Eric called him back, glancing around at the other tents. "Ya know damn well by now that a lot o' wha's probably in 'ere's no human... so wha' about ya? Mortal?"

"…I was…in the time of Queen Victoria, "They take humans sometimes, change us into something else…this circus used to me mine, and it was taken from me. I don't know what I am now. I just know I have been alive far too long."

"Change?" Something did not seem right with that statement, a feeling of uneasy settling in the pit of Eric's stomach; this place, the entirely, seemed to speak of nightmares and danger untold, and to be truthful, he was rather nervous.

"Change." Joker nodded. "Some here were humans, some reapers, demons, angels…all o' us have been mutated somehow."

"Shit..." the blond breathed. So it seemed like he wasn't the only one of his kind to be trapped in here.

"I'm guessing you are a werecreature…he always has neck collars for those…get used to your other form, he has ways of triggering it without the light of the full moon. You'll retain your mind, though, It's safer for everyone that way, at least…"

Eric snorted, his mood and patience spent and gone, leaving him exhausted and in no mood for another fight. At least not for now - there was no way in all of Hell that he was going to stay here. Not willingly, that is. "Bastard's damn lucky I lost m' scythe..." he growled, more so to himself than to Joker, as he slowly made his way into the dark cage.

"I wish ye hadn't…a scythe could cut these collars off us and we'd be free to go…" Joker said, closing the cage door and heading back to his tent.

Eric exhaled, glancing around the space of the cage; wide and rather empty, with old wooden flooring and iron bars, it was the face of traditional circus flare. There was no bed, only a single mat upon the floor, no pillows and blankets to accompany. With a groan, the blond lion slumped forward, collapsing onto it, a feeling of defeat settling over him. What now?

A sudden sneeze caught his attention, his head snapping up to glare over at a darkened corner of the cage. His eyes narrowed. "Who's there...?"

"I-I'm sorry to have disturbed you…says Oscar." A quiet, shy voice pipped up, a small figure turning slightly and a pair of yellow, slitted eyes settling on him, "W-We'll be quieter…S-says Emily."

"What?" The man pulled a face of disbelief, sitting up and looking over with cautious intention. "... Show yer face... But before you do, answer this; what creature are ya?"

"Sn-snake-man…" the voice nearly whispered, clearly haunted by the title as he crawled out of his pile of hay and into the dim moonlight which glinted off silver snake scales on his cheeks. His silky white hair was a mess, and he was shivering, wearing only a pair of tight shorts, hiding none of the patches of scales adorning his body. Two actual snakes were curled around his shoulders, their eyes trained on him. A leather strap was about his ankle, looking to be the came as the collar around Eric's neck. The young man looked to be about eighteen, and wore a vulnerable, saddened look upon his pale face.

Eric regarded him with an air of suspicion, sniffing to detect any traces of demon, angel or another supernatural scent.

The boy shrank away against the bars, "We'll be good…promise, insists Emily." He said, holding up his hands as if to show he meant no harm; his fingernails a dark black.

Eric's green eyes narrowed further; a demon? And yet, he could detect no threat nor aggression from the boy. To be honest, he doubted the rather sorry looking fellow could even fight at all. "...Keep to yer word?"

The boy nodded, seeming to cower under the glare of his new cellmate.

Eric, by this point, had realized that the boy would indeed stay true to his word, though he still impulsively kept his guard up. Shifting on the mat, he lowered his glare, beckoning the boy to come to him. "Where's yet coat, boy?"

"Don't have one…says Oscar." He responded, hugging himself for warmth as he stood up and took a step closer to Eric.

Eric raised an eyebrow. "No need ta be shy... I dun have m' scythe."

The boy only bit his lip and looked down, one of the snakes about his shoulders hissing softly into his ear, encouraging him, "I-I have always been shy…says Emily."

"Oh fer-!" Getting to his feet, the tall blond lumbered over, an annoyed huff escaping. Grabbing the boy by the scruff, he yanked him back, throwning him down upon the mat. Removing his jacket, he tossed it upon the shivering form. "'Ere. Keep under tha', I dun need it - fair warnin', it may smell a wee bit. Haven' bathed in a while, sorry."

The boy yelped, but settled sown into his new spot , pulling the warm jacket around him more, "Th-thank you…says Emily." He blushed and glanced up at the man, "I-I'm Snake…says m-myself."

"Eric Slingby." the man grunted, plopping down beside the boy. "So... how'd ya end up in this elledged hellhole?" It was but a feeble attempt to start conversation, but by this point and state of exhaustion, the blond no longer cared.

Snake sighed, "Smile and Black disappeared…and we were alone again until we found Joker, Doll, and Beast again…but…but they were here and Ringmaster saw me and took us too…" he trailed off, looking at the black tips of his fingers, "…I had never known I was half demon…I thought I had always been human…says Oscar."

"I take it they're yer friends?" Eric asked, busying himself with vain attempts to redo his braids; his hair had since fallen out of it's normal style, now lying messy and long, touching his shoulders and framing both sides of his face.

Snake nodded, "They…had rescued me once…now we all need to be…" he looked up at Eric, "…I…I can help, Mister Eric…says Emily."

Eric shook his head. "I wear cornrows close ta the scalp... normally. Hard ta do-"

Snake nodded and curled up into himself, looking at his bare toes, "Why'd they take you..? asks Oscar." He asked after a moment of silence.

Eric paused for a moment, a saddened expression befalling his face. "...I wasn' taken...I was given. By the same bastard who stole m' husbsnd... m-m' family..." Oh, how he missed Alan so. His heart panged for the brunet… To hear his voice, feel his embrace, his love... He wanted his love...

Snake's eyes widened, "Took you from your special someones..? asks Emily" he seemed to hug his snakes.

The man nodded, a bit glumly, his former sharp tongue and attitude having vanished into thin air.

Snake bit his lip, "Maybe he'll come for you…" he whispered, voice barely audible.

But Eric shook his head. "No..." he murmured. "'E won'. 'E's all but fergotten me by now. Bastard took 'is heart... mine's jus' a fuckin' mess now."

Still, part of him hoped that the little brunet would come for him; take him into his arms, hold him, tell him that he was loved again. He missed him, and to remember Alex's words now... _'He's all but fogotten you now_...' It made his heart just break a little more inside.


	16. Secret napkin

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 16**

Ronald bit his lip as he lay in his hospital bed, a scrap of napkin clenched in his hand. He had stolen one of William's pens at his husband's last visit, having been denied a pen or pencil for weeks. Alex always made sure he couldn't communicate with his family, and so he did what he could. He used the pen to write his family a letter and hid the pen in the vase of flowers Grell had brought him. Now he'd only have to slip it to someone when Alex wasn't around.

William strode down the hall, a large pet carrier in his hands. Ronald had been oddly restless lately, but for whatever reason, his husband could not tell. So, to help bring some ease and comfort to the blond, the dark haired Reaper brought Mary with him on his daily visit after work. Perhaps a little comfort from his beloved pet would do some good. Knocking on the door, William eased his way into the room. "Good evening, liebe. I brought you someone special." Sitting on the edge of the bed, he leaned into to present his love with a greeting kiss, fiddling with the lock on the carrier. The rabbit slowly crept out into the open, sniffing along the bed before taking notice of Ronald, hopping almost immediate to him as her instincts as a therapy animal came into play.

Ronald, still unable to use his voice, smiled as she hopped into his lap and lightly leaned on his chest as she sniffed his cheek, her fur tickling his soft skin, drawing out a small silent laugh as he snuggled her, stroking her long ears. Mary always knew how to cheer him up when he wasn't feeling that good, both emotionally and physically.

William smiled, kicking off his shoes, moving to lie beside his lover on the bed, peppering sweet kisses upon his cheek and jawline.

Ron turned his head, distracting his lover with a kiss as he slipped the napkin into his suit pocket, hoping William would find it later when Alex wouldn't be around. He then pulled back and mouthed 'I love you.' to his husband, meaning that and so—so much more. He missed him and their children, he was homesick, he trusted Will and hoped he'd find the note, he hoped he'd help save Alan and regain his trust in Eric…wherever he was.

William pulled the boy close, resting their foreheads together, gazing into matching ringed green eyes. He missed the blond just as equally, and longed for his return - at the moment, Alex was preoccupied with Alan down the hall, giving the two lovers a moment of peace. But feeling the blond slip something into his jacket, he frowned, reaching in to pull out a wrinkled napkin, writing scrawled in small print. "What's this?" he inquired, squinting to read the long message.

Ron bit his lip, sending a worried glance at the door, dreading the arrival of the nurse as Will opened the napkin.

_William,_

_I'm sorry I stole your pen, you may have needed it for work, but I needed a way to communicate with you and the family. Alex has an annoying habit of stopping me from any attempts I try._

_Alex can't be trusted. Not with me, and definitely not with Mum. You need to help keep him away from him! Please. He's not just trying to replace dad. And Dad is innocent. He had been trying to save me but I had been too stubborn to listen to him. He wasn't cheating on Mum, he was disappearing to protect all of us, and now Alex is driving him away. He did come see me, I spoke to him when I first woke up before Alex started drugging me to keep me silent and weak. I think whatever he's injecting into me is also setting off my attacks so often._

_I'm not crazy. Alex just wants people to think I'm mentally unstable because of what happened to me. Dad's been_

The note cut off, due to his needing to stop writing as someone had walked in on him and he hid the letter hastily.

William's eyes widened as he read, his hand slowly curling into a fist upon his lap. Setting the napkin aside, he glanced over in his husband's direction; Mary was nuzzling the blond's cheek. "Ronald..."

Ron continued to stroke his rabbit's ears and down her back, but swallowed and looked at William, hoping his faith in his husband's complete trust of him was as strong as he hoped.

William leaned back down, wrapping an arm around his husband's waist, pulling him close. "Show me the marks where he vaccinated you" the man almost demanded, an unreadable look upon his face.

Ron tilted his head to the side and reached up to pull his hair out of the way. Countless small red dots covered the area near his hairline behind his ear. Ronald, of course, didn't know that the marks were there, but he showed his husband the spot anyway. The other side of his neck had been injected as well as few times and held the same marks.

William stared, gently tracing over the dots with gloved fingers - they looked rather irritated - anger blazing in his eyes. "_Das verdammt Hurensohn_!" he snarled, slamming a fist against the wall behind the bed. As if on cue, footsteps and floating voices echoed down the hall; William growled, clutching the blond closer, almost possessively, drawing the blankets further up over the boy's shoulders.

Ron grabbed the napkin, shoving it in Will's pocket again, leaning into his husband and holding Mary close.

Alan's light voice laughed, the sound drifting into the room before he appeared with Alex, the nurse's arms around his shoulders.

William lessened his glare, knowing fully well that all out aggression would not do, especially with Alan in the nurse's presence. He, too, had been warned of Alan's fragile state, and thus wished to prevent any chances of disaster from occurring. Instead, he merely kissed his lover reassuringly, rubbing his back soothingly.

Ronald hated seeing Alan with the man in any way, and he turned to hide his face in Will's shoulder.

Alan smiled, pulling away from Alex and hurrying over to Ronald, reaching out to stroke his hair, "Hey sweetie, feeling any better?" he smiled at the rabbit, "Mary's missed you these past months. I'm sure she's just as glad to see you as you are her."

The rabbit cuddled into her owner's chest, nuzzling him happily, her eyes half lidded in contentment. William faked a smile, though inside he was seething, seeing how much this load of - what he could now deem as - lies was doing to his sweet little blond.

"Still unable to speak?" Alan sighed sadly, "Alex, are you sure it's temporary? I'm getting worried…"

Alex sighed, moving to the end of the bed, retrieving a clipboard attached to the edge. "We are worried about it as well... The doctors are considering running a couple of more tests to see what is wrong."

Ronald stiffened at the announcement, but Alan smiled, "Please do. I just want what's best for him…"

Alex smiled. "Of course. He is your son after all."

Ron looked at William, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze.

Alan nodded, "Thank you, you are so good to us."

"All I want is for you to be happy my sweet-"

"GRAAAANDDDMAAA!" a chorus of two voices echoed down the hall, Kai and Briella running into the room. The little girl made a face.

"Ewwwwwww, Mama and Vatti are being lovey-dovey in bed!"

"And whats wrong about that? You two were born because your mommy and daddy fell in love." Alan laughed.

"Yeah, but we dun wanna see it!" Briella made a retching noise, sticking out her tongue. "'Cept Kai-buggy, cause 'eeeeeee's a fairy!"

"I am not! I'm a pwincess, there's a difference!" the boy defended, feeling his cheeks turn red.

"Gwandma lookie!" the girl interrupted, shoving what appeared to be a flyer into her grandmother's face. "Circus!"

"Can we go, can we go?" Kai bounced around, "Daddy! Tell Gwandma we can go!"

William chuckled slightly. "That's up to your grandmother to decide."

"I don't know…" Alan sighed, reading the flyer. Circuses had always been what Eric took children too…it made him start to miss the man.

"Pweeeeeeeaaaasseeee?" both the twins gave the man puppy dog eyes: their deadlist weapon.

"Fine, if you two promise to behave and bring back some cotton candy for your mommy. He loves the stuff."

"Yaaaaaaayyyy! You hear that, Mommy? We get to go to the ciwcus!" Kai cheered, climbing on the bed to cuddle with his mother. "Gwandma is taking us to the ciwcus!"

Ron smiled, letting go of Mary so that he could pull his son into a hug, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Kai giggled, snuggling into his mother, beginning to chatter away aimlessly about his week and how Alex helped him and Briella catch a giant fish for dinner.

Alex now, however, shuffled quietly up to Alan. "Alan... Come with me for a moment..."

"Of course. Briella, you make sure your mommy stays out of trouble, okay?"

"Mm!" The girl ran to join her brother in Ron's lap.

Alan smiled and followed Alex out of the room, "What is it?"

"... I know what happened to your husband after he left. That circus... I was walking down through London the other day, and happened upon two men working there as acrobats. They spoke of a new addition, with wild blond hair and a cocky air to him; said he joined them on account of a new little fling he had with one of the other performers - a freak show member, I think..."

Alan's fingers twitched, his stomach knotting and his heart aching, "Are…are you sure it's Eric?" he choked out.

Alex nodded solemly. "I ask for the name... Eric Slingby."

Alan doubled over, breathing hard and clutching at his heart, "No…why…would he?"

"Alan!" Alex cried out, rushing over to his partner's side, pulling him close. "Alan, talk me! Are you alright?!"

Alan looked up at Alex, "It's not thorns…just…hurts as much…" Tears pricked his eyes, the situation with his husband finally feeling all too real.

Alex stroked his hair, a sad look upon his face. "Sshhh... It's okay. It's not your fault. That man had the most perfect thing in the world, and he threw it all away for something worthless. He's a bastard, and you deserve so much better than that."

"He was my life…we created our lives together… I had given up when I was told I had Thorns, and he showed me I had so much more than just death ahead of me…he was my strength to fight my attacks…to not let it take me from my reaper life yet…"

"I know, I know... Shhh, everything is going to be alright" he soothed, kissing him on the forehead. "I'll help you now... everyone will. We are all here for you Alan."

"…He couldn't even tell me…he just ran off with this person, not even thinking to tell me anything…why he stopped loving me…why he can abandon our family…"

"What he did was a sign of cowardice. He left because he didn't care, because he wouldn't care. It was all just a little fling, another looong one night stand for him. When he was finished, he left, just like he used to will all the women of the Dispatch."

Alan sat down on a padded bench in the Hall, hugging himself, "But he took me as his husband—we have a son…"

Alex hesitated, sitting next to Alan, wrapping a protective arm around his shoulder. "I guess... It just wasn't enough for him..."

Alan sat in silence a moment, lost in thought and heartbreak before turning and hiding into Alex's hold.

"...If you wish, I will accompany you to the circus with your grandchildren, in case you fear to see Eric again. But be warned, do not let him get to you. You are strong - show him that you are stronger than him; make it known that you are not below him, not something to be toyed with, and that damn it, you are far better a Reaper than he will ever be. If he wants to reconnect, don't let him - he doesn't deserve you or your family. You all deserve better than this."

Alan slipped his arms around Alex, taking a shaky breath, "Come with us…"

Alex nodded. "Of course, sweetheart" he murmured, helping Alan to his feet.

"Thank you…" he took out a handkerchief and dried his eyes, "I'm sorry…this…loosing Eric like this is just…"

"It's awful, and understandable. You have every right to grieve, love-"

"Gwandma? Why are you cwying?" Kai whimpered, suddenly standing before the two men, his eyes wide with concern.

Alan put on a small smile, opening his arms for the little boy and picking him up, "It's alright, Kai, I'm…just sad your mommy can't come home yet. Isn't it lonely without him home?"

The boy nodded, "Gwampa too!"

Alex almost growled; Eric's name was really starting to leave a bad taste in his mouth. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to slap the memory for the man from the child's mind; he really wished the boy would stop talking about him over and over again.

"Gwandma, when is Gwampa coming home?" Kai asked.

Alan sighed and kissed Kai, "…I don't think he is…"

The boy's eyes widened, "Wh-why not?"

Alex sighed, leaning down to eye level with the boy. "I'm afraid... Your grandpa didn't want Grandma anymore..."

Alan and Kai's eyes both widened.

"Alex! No need to say something like that!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm just frustrated..."

Alex sighed, turning to comfort the little boy who had started crying. "Shh, shh…it's okay, love…"

"Gwandpaaaaa!" Kai wailed, burying his face into Alan's shirt. Alex sighed gently, rubbing the boy's back.

"Kai…Kai my darling, it's okay, shhh…" Alan bounced him on his hip, knowing the pain his grandson was feeling.

Alex wrapped his arms around both, pulling them into a comforting hug, murmuring soothingly as Kai was somehow passed into his arms. Holding the little boy, he cradled him affectionately, watching as his sobs quieted and his consciousness fade, falling asleep comfortably in the man's embrace.

Alan watched Alex soothing the boy, "…You'd make a good parent…" he mumbled.

Alex didn't miss the comment and blushed, smiling slightly at the brunet. "If only..." he murmured, rocking the sleepy boy back and forth.


	17. Pains from the past

**Moonlit**

**Chapter 17**

Undertaker hummed a soft, yet creepy lullaby as he tucked Ciel into his bed, kissing the boy's forehead fondly. The young demon had been helping him search for Eric all weekend, and had worn himself out. The boy had fallen asleep in his adoptive father's arms as they returned home empty-handed—again.

Grell had been on a late shift, only returning home in time to see his lover carrying their son upstairs. With a smile, he crept after them, sneaking into the room with the stealth of a lone wolf, a soft smile upon his face.

Ciel yawned in his sleep, rolling over to snuggle into his father's arms, sighing contently.

Undertaker chuckled, "Very well, if you don't want daddy to leave you…" He kicked off his boots and slid into bed next to Ciel, letting the boy curl up into him as he stroked his long nails gently through his hair, "You're such a good boy…"

"And you a good daddy, my love." Grell all but purred, slinking over to the side of the bed, kicking off his shoes, sliding in on the other side of his son. "Any luck?"

Undertaker shook his head, "I've never had this hard a time finding information…it's like he vanished off the face of the earth." He sighed, leaning over to kiss his wife's cheek. "How was work, my dear?"

"Tiring - Will was on edge all day, like something was bothering him. I think he knows something... but I can't seem to get a word out of him. It's just like back in 1890 - he was a cold stone, hiding himself underneath a shell of ice and pain."

"That's not good…think something happened with Ronald?" he mused, tapping his lip.

Grell shook his head. "Only that he's getting worse, and no signs of improvement." the redhead muttered, a sigh of weariness escaping. "I suppose we can only wait, lest I get an answer from that man." Ciel moaned softly, twitching as if disturbed in a nightmare.

Undertaker sighed and hummed another short tune to help ease Ciel's nightmare, waiting for him to calm before addressing his wife, "William's been through a lot, as you well know—being his best friend, after all. And he's already had enough heartbreak…if he feels he's loosing his lovely little wife—oh! Don't tell my grandson I called him that. He'd likely throw something painful at me…like a rock." He chuckled, "Anyway, if Will thinks he's loosing Ronnie-boy…loosing a lover after loosing a child…it's a pain that will never fade, even after you move on…it only adds to the pain already sitting in one's heart…" he trailed off, his old mind dragging him back once more into his memories.

-x-

_Vincent grinned to himself as he sat in a carriage, traveling through the reaper German countryside to the mansion that was home to his future husband. It had been a few months since Hans had visited him in __England__, and he had a surprise for him._

_The carriage pulled to a stop and the driver climbed down, opening the door and extending a hand to help the pureblood down, which he gladly took._

_He walked up the stone steps and rang the bell, soon finding the door being opened by a butler who smiled at him and let him inside, announcing that he would let master Hans know he has a surprise visitor._

_As he waited, his young reaper eyes wandered about the grand entry hall, taking in the vastness of it all. He came from a rich family himself, but his mother had them living in a smaller home. Hans' home was a bit overwhelming. And one day…he'd also be able to call it home._

_Hans had been up in the study, preparing a stack of reports for his next late afternoon shift the day after. Hearing the doorbell ring, he paused, quill stopping mid-sentence, eyes drawn from the page to the door. Hearing voices, he sighed, pushing back his chair, glancing forlornly at the portrait of his late father, resting on the side of the desk. The man had contracted the Thorns late last spring, and with the help of a demon attack the week prior, the man was dead within an hour of early Monday from injury and illness. Hans missed him terribly, and his death struck him hard. Becoming distant and stunned, he wandered around the mansion aimlessly, never talking, barely eating, until finally he resorted to locking himself away into his studies, consuming himself with work._

_His father had been his idol, a man of perfection and talent. He was pureblood himself, born from two Reapers with little to give, but a lot to offer the world with a child of the rarest blood and power. Adler had been strong, smart, and smooth in his techniques, tactics, even written word. In truth, he had been, to many eyes, the embodiment of the perfect Reaper. Hans wanted to be like him, to follow in his father's footsteps. To become the perfect Reaper, to succeed, and rise above all others no matter the cost, no matter the consequences. All that mattered was his goal, his meaning, reason...and purpose. He would make his old man proud, become the very thing he wished upon him from the moment of his birth. Be the best, do only the best, and become the best. For himself, for his Dispatch, and for his husband. For Vincent._

_Climbing the stairs, he paused at the sound of the familiar laugh-like voice floated up from the front hall, and a grin threatened to split his face. Rushing into the foyer, he smiled kindly at the sight of his beloved, standing tall and proud, like a delicate stallion. Still, something was different; his suit seemed to be smaller on him, hugging him particularly around the middle._

_Hans tilted his head to the side, curiosity filling him._

_"Hans!" Vincent grinned and rushed over to the older reaper. He hadn't received any news of his future father-in-law's passing, and was quite unaware of the fact that his happy front would possibly be inappropriate. He took his lover's hands in his own and tenderly kissed his knuckles, "I've missed you, so…I have so much to tell you!"_

_Hans smiled warmly, drawing his lover into a gentle hug. "Of course, my darling. I have missed you so very much!" he chuckled, leading the brunet to the sitting room._

_"Is your father at work?" He asked as they sat down, the butler swiftly setting out fresh tea for them, "I have news that I know he'd like to hear as well."_

_Hans's smile fell from his face, the man slowly easing into the seat next to Vincent, his expression unreadable. "...Vati is dead."_

_"Wh-what?" Vincent asked in shock. Hans' father had become like a father to him as well, though he hardly saw the man. "How? He's…such a good reaper… Oh Hans! I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"_

_Hans hushed him, pulling him into his arms. "Shhh... It's alright. He's... He's not suffering anymore..."_

_Vincent hugged his lover tight, "And I was hoping this would be a happier visit…Hans…" he pulled back and looked up at the man, taking his hand and pressing it to his rounding belly, "I'm already carrying your child…"_

_Hans's eyes widened, his mouth agap in surprise. For moments, he couldn't speak, couldn't think. Then, he smiled, a silly grin upon his face. "This is... wunderbar! Simply wunderbar, Vincent!" he laughed, tugging the man back for another tight (yet gentle) hug. Untangling himself, he slid off the couch, moving until he was kneeling in front of the brunet. Gently, pushing his shirt open, he leaned in, pressing a loving kiss to the other man's stomach, stroking it gently. "Has he moved yet? Do you feel alright? Can I get you anything, liebe?"_

_"It has, though not much. It first happened on the travels over here. They wouldn't let me use a Portal, after all. Mum was worried the effects of the sudden transportation would hurt the baby so she arraigned for me to travel the mortal way…she said I should be with you from now on. I actually found out my condition when I was getting my physical check-up for my final exam…and they bumped my exam up for me so that I could take it when it wasn't a risk to the baby…and they are transferring me over here before marriage." He smiled, stroking Hans' soft hair, "But I wouldn't mind a slice of cake."_

_Hans chuckled, pausing a he felt a smidge of movement brush against his palm, a warm feeling arising in his chest like the embers of a fire. "Which cake do you prefer, liebe? I shall have the staff vhip it up immediately and a room made up - unless, of course," he teased lightly, "you vish to lay with me at night~!"_

_"Chocolate strawberry swirl, please." Vincent smiled and gave a small chuckle, "I know we are not yet husbands, but…given the circumstances, I doubt anyone would object to our sharing your bed…" he leaned in to kiss his soft lips, "Besides, Mum is pushing for the wedding to happen before our baby is born."_

_"And so it shall be - I am glad. I wish to have you in my arms sooner than later, liebe" the man purred, calling for the chef._

_-x-_

_Vincent tied his hair back with a white ribbon and he looked in the mirror. He wore a smart white tailcoat and top hat with a soft purple sash and vest. White roses adorned his hat and lapel._

_"Vincent, dear, are you ready?" His mother asked with a smile, "Your groom is waiting for you."_

_"Yes, Mother." He turned from his reflection, grinning ear to ear as he walked his proud mother to the Hall where he'd finally wed his Hans. His hand running over his rounded Belly. They'd be a perfect family after they said their 'I do's'. The music started and his mother led him down the aisle._

_Hans stood by the altar, dress down in black from head to toe, a happy smile upon his face as the music played. Spectators watched eagerly and wedding parties shone with happiness and tears of joy for the young couple. And yet, in the back of his mind, something seemed wrong._

_Vincent bent down, kissing his mother's cheek as she tearfully wished him the best and pressed her son's hand into Hans'. She then took her seat and the couple approached the altar where the service started._

_Hans smiled gently at his lover, as the priest approached the altar to begin the service._

_"…And do you, Vincent Chronos, take this man as your eternally wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, so long as you both shall live your reaper lives?" The minister asked after Hans had said his 'I do'._

_Vincent smiled, turning to look at his groom, reaching up to stroke his cheek gently with the back of his fingers, his other hand resting on his belly, "I do…a thousand times over." He gave a little giggle._

_"Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may now kiss yo—"_

_The service was very suddenly interrupted as the ceiling near the doors caved in, a white holy light shining in the center of it._

_Hans reacted first, shielding Vincent with his body, feeling the man's belly press lightly against his back; it only spurred his desire to protect his lover and their baby. From the top of the building, feathers of snow white fluttered down, like the dandruff of the heavens, as its messengers soared into the cathedral. The angels cried, coming forth in group of twelve or more at once, their intentions and purpose unknown but not their threat to the couple standing right at the edge of the altar._

_The room was full of reapers, but very few of them were of a career that allowed them scythes at their disposal, and they began to run for the exits, being unable to defend themselves. Angels and Demons both were races of power. Having the ability to fight as just themselves. Demons often relying on their claws and teeth, Angels their power to bend light into solid, flaming weapons. Reapers, however, only had their scythes when fighting on a supernatural level, and so few achieved the ability to summon one, and therefore have one. It was why Dispatches around the world were always so understaffed._

_Those who did have a scythe, summoned them, moving to defend all who couldn't in hopes that they would escape safely. And Vincent, even being as new and inexperienced as he was—not to mention his condition—summoned his own. He didn't plan on running into battle. He had his baby to think of, of course. But he did want to be able to defend himself if needed. The great scythe materialized in his hands and he held it at the ready behind his husband._

_The angels dove in, striking and stabbing mercilessly at any and every Reaper they could reach. Hans snarled, tensing the muscles in his arms in legs. This was a moment of triumph, one he could not fail._

_"Hans…" Vincent knew he couldn't get Hans to try and run. The man was loyal and protective, "be careful…our baby needs his or her father." He said, backing away, "I'll try to get out the back to protect them."_

_As if to show it's fear, the baby kicked nervously, searching for some means of reassurance from it's mother. Hans grit his teeth, slashing and cutting viciously, bent on holding the wave back from reaching his lover. Unfortunately, the midst of his attempt to attack a lone angel, a group of two turned their sights upon Vincent, charging headlong at them._

_Vincent rested a hand on his stomach, trying to calm his unborn son or daughter as he rushed towards the door, his hat falling from his head. He reached the door and grabbed the handle, twisting it and yanking it open, finding it a heavier door than he had anticipated. The door refused to open quickly, and he panicked, glancing over his shoulder just in time to see the angels chasing after him._

_"Filthy creature! Unclean, you are! That child, a mark of your disgrace!" the angel screeched, swooping over the terrified Reaper. Grabbing him beneath the armpits, she lifted him up into the air, flying to the ceiling as more angels swarmed around._

_Vincent gasped, swinging his great scythe up to cut off one of the angel's wings, but another angel grabbed the long handle, yanking it from his grasp just as the baby gave a painful kick to his side, causing his grip to falter. The scythe fell to the floor below, clattering against the hard stone floor._

_"Hans!" he cried as he struggled to break free._

_The German glanced up, his eyes widening at the sight of the angels swarming around his lover. A tall, slender male, shaggy white hair and purple eyes, flew towards the helpless pregnant Reaper. With a cold glare and ill intent, he reached out, slamming his hand upon the brunet's stomach, a white light shining from beneath his palm._

_The baby thrashed about, withering as a searing pain enveloped Vincent, a fire burning him from the inside out._

_The young pregnant reaper screamed in pure agony. Every hint of the usual laughter in his voice gone to the cry of pain and fear._

_No—no, not there! Not the baby!_

_But he was powerless to stop it, burning flames of holy light filling his body, searing the child within him and finally bursting from his eyes and mouth, choking off his screams. The baby within him stopped moving completely, and his hair began to bleed out a pure white, yet his fingernails charring black as coal. His skin unnaturally paler than before, he was dropped from high above, his body crumpling as it hit the ruined pews below. His body remained unmoving, his consciousness having left him before he'd hit the floor._

_-x-_

_Days later, Vincent moaned, stirring at last and opening his eyes, blinking at the bright light overhead in the sterol hospital room. Once his eyes adjusted, he turned his head, spotting a familiar blurred figure sitting next to him. "…Hans..? What—what happened?"_

_The brunet seemed to sit stiffer than usual, his head bowed and shoulders slouched as he clutched Vincent's hand. Hearing his lover's voice, he glanced up, eyes slightly reddened from obvious crying. "Vincent..." he croaked, moving to wrap the now silver haired Reaper into a hug._

_Vincent slipped his arms around the German, his mind trying to think of why he was waking in a hospital—they had been at their wedding—they had become husbands and were about to kiss, and—_

_Something was wrong. His belly wasn't pressing against his husband as they embraced. Vincent's breath caught in his throat, his hand moving to his flat belly. He began to tremble. "H-Hans…what…our—our b-b-"_

_Hans refused to look at Vincent. "...She's dead."_

_"N-no…no…NO!" The young reaper started to hyperventilate, hugging his arms around his flat belly, "No!"_

_Hans stroked his back, pressing amble kisses against his lover's forehead. He knew it wasn't Vincent's fault, and kept telling himself that. Still, it didn't take away the pain and suffering he had from losing their little one. "...She's one of them now, a little angel in heaven." he murmured, gently running a hand down the bandages covering the silver haired boy's stomach._

_"But—she's ours…she's our baby…I—I can't even hold her?" he clung to Hans, "This…this isn't how things were supposed t-to be…H-Hans—My L-love…please…this is a dream—please tell me this is a bad dream!"_

_Hans bit his lip. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Vincent. They had to remove her from your womb before she tore herself out...I don't know what they did with her afterwards..."_

_Vincent broke into uncontrollable sobs, mourning the loss of the child he'd carried and had protected for nearly eight months. He felt…as if he'd never smile again._

_Hans paused for a moment, reaching into his pocket, pulling out a single, tiny, fluffy white feather. Placing it in Vincent's hand, he closed his fingers around it, stroking his knuckles delicately. "...This came from her—she had a set of tiny wings. You would have loved her..."_

_They both would have. Hans closed his eyes, the memory of seeing the baby scream loudly as she was pulled from her mother's belly, flailing in attempt to override the pain befalling her tiny body as she fought between turning Angel and staying Reaper. Brown hair in the midst of becoming a golden blond, eyes shifting between green and purple, wings already formed at the back. The moment she was free, special staff whisked her away; nothing could be done, so it seemed, even if she remained Reaper, the scarring and wings would remain, becoming a mutation on her behalf. A few moments later, he heard the cries cease._

Vincent held the feather gently, bringing it to his lips and kissing it—the only thing left of their baby girl. He'd never let the feather go…never loose it—it was his baby… His tearful eyes looked over at the side table where his glasses, and his collection of lockets sat. He reached over, taking his favorite locket—the one with a rose carved into it—and he shakily opened it and placed the feather into it and closed it. The locket gave a small glow of white light as he did so. "…We'll nev-never loose you—forget you, our darling baby girl…" he choked out.

Hans held his lover sadly, preparing himself to become the bearer for more bad news. "Vincent...your mother..."

He looked up at Hans with wide tearful eyes, a painful twist in his gut. No…don't say that something happened to his beloved mother…

"She was hit while trying to get to you... They brought her here but... It's not looking good. I'm so sorry Vincent..."

"…No…not mum too…first your dad, then our—our—and now my mum? He took a deep breath, "Where is she?"

"Just down the hall... Room 19..."

_"Please! Can…can we go see her?" he looked down at the locket in his hand, "…if she's as bad off as you say…I…I can't handle loosing my daughter and mother both without seeing…at least one of them…"_

_Hans nodded, understanding his lover's pain. Reaching out, he scooped up the Reaper, cradling him gently in his arms. Turning, he exited the room, carrying the boy down the hall to the room where his mother lay in a weakened, fragile state._

_Vincent had grabbed his glasses as he was picked up, and he slipped them onto his face, but he still clutched the locket safe in his palm. His eyes fell upon his mother—his good, strong mother looking so weak and frail. "M-Mama…"_

_"V-Vincent...?" The woman struggled to open her eyes, smiling slightly as she caught sight of her son lying comfortably in his lover's arms. "My baby... I'm... so glad... y-you're safe..."_

_"Mama… he reached down to take her hand, "How…how can you keep smiling?" he sobbed lightly. He could see it. As a reaper, he could see death when it was taking someone—and it was surrounding his mother. It wouldn't be long at all…_

_"Ssshhh, sh, it's all right, my little one... Everything is going to be alright." she whispered hoarsely, reaching up weakly to cup her son's cheek. "My little Vincent... I l-love... you..."_

_"M-mother…" he swallowed as his lover laid him down next to the dying woman, and he snuggled into her as he had when he was a child, "You—you can't go…not now…especially not now…I need you…"_

_"I must, Vincent... My time... is up..." she broke off into a heavy coughing fit, her small frame curling into itself as she heaved. "...Andrew... Is waiting for me..." She wrapped her thin arms around her son, nuzzling his hair. "My baby... Mama... will always... be w-w-ith...y-y-you..." Her voice trailed off, her breathing becoming shallower._

_"Mother—mother no! I—I hate death! Why…why must it be so cruel?" he cried loudly as his mother slipped away in his arms, leaving only a corpse, soon to turn to dust. "No! H-Hans—!" he turned around, clinging to his husband tight. His love—his Hans…was all he had left in the world._

_Hans wasted no time, wrapping his arms around the mourning Reaper, cradling him close. "It's alright." he soothed. "She's at peace now... with our daughter..." 'Please, watch over her, Father, and our baby...Watch them forever...'_

_Vincent grieved long into the night, until he fell asleep in his lover's arms, tears still streaking down his cheeks._

-x-

Undertaker felt tears pricking at his eyes from the memories as he raised turned to gaze at his wife—his beautiful Grell who had long drifted off to sleep. He reached out, stroking his red locks fondly, "I never expected to be happy again…never expected to have a real smile return to me…" he whispered, kissing his cheek.

Ciel whined softly in his father's arms, having since been scooped into a comforting hold by both his parents. Nuzzling into the man's chest, it brought back a painful reminded of what once was and what could have been - his daughter, long since presumably dead, and his ex husband, dead by five years to date. Still, like with all wounds, time healed his aching heart - he had a life now, a family of his own, a wife and beautiful children and grandchildren to hold dear to his heart. Grell murmured something in his sleep, cuddling their son closer, his arms and legs twitching slightly.

Ciel whimpered again, withering slightly as a single, long since forgotten word by most escaped from his mouth. "E-Elizabeth..."

Undertaker sighed. The boy had been dreaming of his long lost Elizabeth—'Lizzy', he believed the strong young girl had preferred to be called. She had been a cute young thing, but surprisingly handy with rapiers. She could best her brother and her father in one go. He chuckled at the memory.

It made him wonder what had happened to the bright young girl so ahead of her time in the Victorian age… Ciel never knew what had happened to her…maybe some real closure would help him let go of his past, as Grell had helped him let go of what he had once shared with Hans. It wasn't natural that Ciel—even having been unnaturally turned demon—was trapped for hundreds of years as a young boy of thirteen. And Undertaker knew two things. He wanted the boy to be able to grow and discover the world…and that the past was holding him back.

Silently, Undertaker slipped out, waiting for Ciel to roll over and cling to his adoptive mother before he left for the Library. The Library was full of records, from the present going as far back as the beginning of time. Each record held a person's memories, their deepest darkest secrets.

Anyone could get lost in the rows and rows of records, but Undertaker knew exactly where to look. He hurried passed the shelves and found the early 1900's quickly. From there, he located London's section and spent only a half hour of searching before he found her name printed in gold along the leather binding, along with the date she was born and found her end. He took it down off the shelf and found a chair to relax in, opening the book to release the records for his viewing.

The book's record's flew out, displaying the young girl's entire life from start to finish. Her death, by the unfortunate crash of a carriage into a ravine, should have been the end; and yet, to the Undertaker's surprise, the record continued. As he watched, his eyes widened.


	18. Circus

**Moonlit **

**Chapter 18**

The day was a warm sunny day, a cool breeze drifting across the grounds of the circus, making the walls of all the tents ripple gently as Snake walked out of the mess tent carrying two plates of breakfast. He found his way to the cage he still shared with Eric, and he climbed up into it, sitting down and holding out one plate to the werelion. Since Eric had been bought into the circus, he and Snake had become close; best friends—or even brothers in a way. And though Snake had a hard time speaking up for himself, even in casual conversations, they did enjoy each other's company.

"B-best eat before Ring Master comes to force you into Lion form and…and Beast comes to 'train' you for her show…says Oscar." he said in a low voice.

Eric grunted slightly, rolling onto his back, shielding the light from his eyes. "Ngh... No, tell 'em I dun give a ruddy damn, too tired..." Ever since he had joined the circus, Eric had undergone harsh and rather tiresome treatment, ranging from random changes into his Lion form to training non-stop with the animal tamer, Beast. Beast, though she treated all the creatures and animals like her children (as opposed to most of the otherwise more humanoid tier members), was bent on disciplining and carving each and everyone of them into skilled, obedient little puppies. Something Eric was having no part in, much to her dismay and the Ringmaster's irritation. Still, he was improving, bit by bit.

Snake shook his head, "They'll hurt you more, says Emily…" he crawled over to him and started to rub and massage the reaper's shoulders—a talent he was good at, and often used for by the ringmaster himself. "I don't like that…and…and today we open to the public…they'll be harsher with you if you don't listen…says Oscar."

Eric snorted, but relaxed, purring softly as his expression changed to one of contentment until the sound of footsteps made him twitch, his head lifting to see a familiar figure run up to the side of the cage.

"'Ey, Blondie! I got yer belt~~~!" A girl of about 15, just a couple of inches taller than Ciel had been; short brown hair to the shoulders, bangs parted to cover over the left eye, the right a ringed combination of yellow-green - just like Eric's. Reaper eyes.

Glaring half-heartedly at the girl, Eric leaned forward, reaching out of the cage, the child merely laughing and dancing away. "Nope~!"

"Ya wee wanker, gimme m' belt back! I need tha'! Doll!" he growled, though his tone was playful. Despite the food he was getting (not very good quality or quantity, but better than being hungry on the streets as before), the man was still loosing a fair bit of weight from the vigorous training; it grated on Ringmaster's nerves, as Eric in his lion form was starting to look more like a giant stray cat rather than a strong beast.

Doll stuck her tongue out, waving the belt around like a propeller, gloating at the elder Reaper. "I won it fair an' square!"

"Ya cheated!"

"You don't know how ta play cards, ya ninny!"

Snake bit his lip, "You're being mean to him, Doll…rubbing it in that you have what you don't need and what he does…says Oscar."

But Eric waved him off, watching the girl dance around with glee. "'S fine, she's jus' havin' a wee bit o' fun... Besides" he cracked a wicked smile. "I still have 'er teddy~!"

Snake sighed, "You should still eat…says Emily." He picked up his own plate and began to eat, sharing his food with his two snake companions.

Eric shrugged, grabbing the other plate, digging into whatever mush had been served as food for that morning—he wasn't picky. Still, part of him was excited for the opening day; a chance, perhaps, to see Alan again. Their grandchildren had loved the circus since the age of three, and every year, the two of them would travel out to mortal London to see a show for a day or two. Just maybe, he could find Alan and patch things up. Escape from this prison, and find a way to free his friends in the process. It was his last chance, his last hope to be free from this hell they called 'captivity'. Everyone in the circus was mistreated, unseen by the public eyes but behind curtains told another story of the Big Top. Brutal beatings, isolation, deprived of food and water for days on end, cramped and often filthy living condition (they only bathed a couple of times a week and as a public bath), and no freedom for most of them. They couldn't escape, trapped as prisoners until someone came to rescue them; which, of course, never happened.

Doll clambered up to the cage, squeezing her way in, plopping down on the floor next to Eric.

"Do…do you think your family will come and see you?" Snake asked the lion. Eric had often spoken of his grandchildren and son…and his husband. It made the shy young man sad for the reaper. But then again, everyone in the circus had a hard past, either it being depressing in itself—like his own—or like Eric's, being separated from loved ones. Snake didn't know which was worse.

Eric frowned slightly. "...I hope so. I wanna see Alan... I gotta make things right with 'im" he said. Doll blinked, listening to the man's conversation, turning to flop against him, trying to snag his breakfast.

"W-we'll help look to see…says Emily." Snake promised.

"Thank ya... Tha's very kind o' ya" Eric smiled, just as Joker approached the cage.

Snake nodded and finished his breakfast, "We have to go get ready for the show…says Emily." He said with a wave before hurrying to change into his performance outfit.

Eric groaned slightly, giving Joker a pleading stare, as if to say 'please don't let me go out today'. Doll giggled, clambering onto the man's back, like a daughter to father.

"Don't give me that look. It's not my call and you know it." Joker sighed, rubbing the back of his head with his fake hand. "And Beast needs you today."

"Ugggghhh... But I ate some bad shit!" the blond whined, hugging his stomach, faking a look of discomfort.

"You ate the same as all of us. And it's better than goin' hungry like last week." He pointed out, "Come on."

Still whining like an overgrown child, Eric hauled himself to his feet, Doll clinging to his back like a baby monkey, he lumbered out of the cage, blinking as the sun shone brightly upon his face. Following Joker down the row of tents, he shivered slightly from the cool morning air, many of the other members out and about.

-x-

"Circus!" Briella giggled, wanting to run through the gates into the colorful fair, though Alex held fast to her hand to stop her.

Alan chuckled, "We have to buy our tickets before we can go in." he smiled, shifting an excited and wiggling Kai on his hip.

"I wanna see the Big Kitties!" the little boy cheered, craning his neck to see over the crowd. "Lions an' tigers an' panthers an' cougars an' bobcats an' cheetahs an' leopards an'…"

"Okay, okay, we can go to see the big cat show today." Alan said, ruffling the boy's hair as the line shortened and they found themselves at the ticket booth. "Two adults and two children, please."

"Yes siree, right away!" a young man with spiky blond and black hair grinned, finishing around behind the counter for a moment before pulling out two pairs of tickets.

"Mista, are you a clown?" Kai chirped, pointing at the man.

He laughed loudly. "No, little buddy, I'mma knife thrower!" he chirped, ruffling the boy's hair.

"Cool! Hey! Hey, Mista! Can you teach me?" Briella chirped.

"Ah, ya might be a little to small just right now... But maybe, when yer older!" the man grinned.

"Wha's yer name?" the little girl demanded, clambering on top of the counter, glaring at him with a pout.

"Dagger!" the man laughed. "Ya got some spunk in ya, kid. I like you!"

"One of us gotta! My brover's a fairy." She grinned, "I wanna be strong—like a knight!"

"Bri, get off the counter." Alan laughed.

"I told you! I'mma pwincess! Big difference! Fairies have wings and sparkles!"

Dagger, if possible, laughed harder. Clutching his sides, he leaned forward on the counter, grinning at the family. "You know, little guy, we have a princess here too."

"Really?" Kai perked up, his eyes round with interest, "Does she play with the big kitties?"

"Sometimes - there is one kitty she likes to play with; a great, big lion! He's part of her act, if you are here to see the evening show as well. You might see her today though wandering about - maybe with the big kitty!"

"Yay!" he cheered.

Briella sighed and reached out, tugging Dagger's sleeve, "When's your show? I wanna see the knives!"

"Whoa, there, tiger!" Dagger laughed. "My show ain' 'til this evenin', with the Big Top Finale!" He checked his watch. "Ah, damn, my shift is up."

"Can you walk with us?" she asked with a grin, "I like you!"

"Now, now. I'm sure he has lots to do today. The performers here all are at work. This is how they make money to support their families." Alan chuckled, "We can go see his show, though."

"Naw, it wouldn't be too much trouble - I don't really have anythin' better to do!" the man chuckled, removing himself from his seat, exiting the stall. "OI, PETER! GET YOUR CANN OVER HER AN' MIND THE RUDDY TICKETS, YA BARMY OAF!"

"Yay!" Briella hugged the circus member's arm.

"Ella's got a crush~" Kai teased.

"I do not!" Briella shouted, her face turning pink at the cheeks. Dagger chuckled. "I could give ya a tour of th' circus if ya want" he said, glancing at Alan.

"Yes, please, that would be very kind of you." Alan smiled, setting Kai down so he could walk with his sister and leaving his own hands free…until he took hold of Alex's hand. He was so used to doing so with Eric, he didn't even think about it.

Alex blushed slightly, giving his lover's hand a gentle squeeze.

Alan blushed, realizing he'd just grabbed onto the nurse's hand, but didn't pull away, "You two stay close. No running away, now." He chuckled, "Your mother and father would be mad at me if I lost you like Grampa tends to do when he takes you out."

"We will~!" the twins chimed, strolling over with the first tier member, chattering away happily.

Alex turned to Alan, smiling at him; he had something special planned for brunet, but he wanted to wait for the perfect opportunity - namely, after cutting the ties with the blunder of a blond, Eric.

Briella smiled up at Dagger as he showed them around; the exotic animals (Which is where Snake had his show dancing and charming dangerous snakes from around the world), the main tent, a few other shows…and finally, the large cats, where Beast, a woman clad in leather and holding a whip, stood, a large, but thin looking lion at her side on a leash.

Kai gasped in happiness, scrambling over to get a close look at the beast, his eyes shining with glee. This had been the moment he was waiting for, to see his favorite animals up close.

The lion wore an almost bored expression upon it's face, it's wavy mane ruffled and fluffed up. Yet, upon seeing the little boy approach, it stood stiff, eyes widening in shock. Then, to the tamer's surprise, it lunged, desperately fighting in attempt to break free of the leash, loud calls and roars bellowing from its mouth.

"Back! Down!" Beast scolded, flicking the whip at, but not hitting, him. She knew this wasn't a normal cat, and Eric would be even more injured from her lashes once he changed back.

Briella screamed, clinging to Dagger and Alan gasped, taking chase of Kai, "Kai—no!"

But Kai merely stared in wonder at the gigantic lion; something about him seemed familiar but he couldn't place what.

Before Beast could flick the whip again, Eric charged, bounding over to the boy and knocking him down, covering him in an array of happy licks.

"KAI!" Alan cried, only seeing the lion pounce his grandson. He sped up, running to the lion—and seeing the boy laughing as he was licked by the over-sized cat. He gasped in relief, holding a hand over his pounding heart and breathing hard.

Eric purred loudly, wrapping the boy up with his forepaws, soaking him with happy licks. He had missed his grandchildren so much, and now, seeing for the first time in over three months, he was overcome with joy to finally be able to see them again.

"Beast—what's gotten into him; acting like that?" Dagger asked, hurrying over and eyeing Eric.

"Why's it trying to eat my brover?" Briella gasped.

"Good kitty!" Kai laughed, patting the giant cat's head, sitting up to cuddle into its mane. Eric purred louder, audible enough to the company around him, his green eyes seeming to smile warmly at the little boy.

The scene had drawn a crowd, questions starting to bombard the animal tamer.

"It looks so thin and starved."

"Are you sure it won't hurt anyone?"

"It must be hungry."

"Don't you feed it?"

Alan stepped forward in caution, sliding his arms under Kai's armpits and pulling him from the Lion's grasp, holding him close as he backed away.

"We feed him a lot. He was like this when we got him" Beast defended; the statement said truth, Eric being incredibly skinny when he had first arrived at the base camp.

Eric whined as Kai was pulled away from him, pausing as he glanced up; his eyes widened, mouth parting slightly at the sight of the brunet before him, gazing at him in slight fear.

Alan.

Scampering up, the lion raced after the man, purring loudly whist pushing his muzzle into his hand.

Kai giggled, "He likes me, Gwandma!"

Alan backed up until he bumped into Alex, "It's a dangerous animal, Kai, even if it's been trained."

Alex nodded, though giving the lion a rather reproachful glare, of which Eric returned with an equal dose of loathing. Snorting, the blond lion suddenly pulled a rather wicked expression. Sauntering about, he moved close to Alan, brushing against the brunet, marking him as 'his'.

"He reminds me of Gwandpa!" Kai suddenly giggled.

"Don't be silly! Gwandpa isn't a giant Kai-eating cat!" Briella said from behind Dagger

"But look!" Kai insisted.

Eric purred happily, still marking a rather terrified Alan, earning a furious glare from a red-faced Alex. Then the crowd yelped in shock. The lion reared, standing on his hind legs, moving to rest both paws on the smaller Reaper's shoulder, nuzzling his neck and cheek.

Alan gasped in shock, his heart rate speeding up again.

Briella suddenly ran forward, grabbing onto the lion's tail and pulling, "Get off Gwandma!"

"Little girl, no!" a woman in the crowd cried, and a few men hurried forward to grab the little girl.

Eric winced slightly, yet tried to ignore his granddaughter, instead focusing on his lover. He felt him shiver and quake beneath his hold, thus resorting to a comforting lick on the cheek.

Briella cried out as she was grabbed and pulled away, "No! I can fight it! Don't let it eat my—let go!" she kicked and wiggled.

Eric continued to nuzzle Alan, being as gentle yet as meaningful as he could be in his gigantic form. He leaned closer, purring softly into his ear, his breath tickling the man's neck.

Beast grabbed the leash and pulled, "Get off the man! What's gotten into you? I'm so-so sorry, sir! He—he's new but usually so well behaved!"

Eric struggled, whining once again, throwing Beast a pleading stare.

Beast blinked, "Don't look at me like that you big baby!" she looked around, Spotting Snake, "Hey! Snake! Get over here and help, would ya?"

Snake looked up, his golden gaze sweeping over the scene, and realization hitting him—this was probably his family… He hurried over without a word and Beast held out the end of the leash, "Take 'im back to his cage—and find Eric. You're the only one he listens to, after all." She huffed, clearly giving up on taking care of the situation.

Snake nodded and took the leash.

Eric's whisker's twitched, as he pushed his nose against Beast's hand, pulling a kitten-eyed expression. He knew, regardless, he was in for a load of trouble once night fell and the circus closed - nothing could free him from his punishment, not after this little display.

But his family...

Snake pulled him out of the crowd and back to the privet area guests were denied access to. He then removed the leash and hung it up, "Eric…" he turned to look at the lion, "That's your family…isn't it..? Asks Emily." he asked and sighed, taking off the witch-enchanted tags from his collar that forced him into the lion form without use of the moonlight.

Eric shivered, feeling his body shift and tense, muscles bunching and contracting as the light of the morning sun fell upon his golden fur. A low moan of pain escape from the depths of his throat, echoing out across the campsite, as the beast changed back into a naked man. Eric sighed softly in relief, leaning wearily against the side of building, waiting to regain his strength.

Snake reached into the nearby costume tent and pulled out a pair of slacks and an open-front shirt that seemed about Eric's size, holding it out to him, "You can go talk to them this way…and not scare them…they don't know you are a werelion, right..? asks Oscar."

Eric shook his head and accept the articles of clothing, slipping them on with ease. "No, they dun... But I dunno... I'm iffy about tha' asshole tha' Alan's with..."

"But—this is your chance…they can get you out of here…they are your family…I—" he blushed, "I can try to distract the other man…says Oscar."

"Tha' would be helpful... I wanna talk ta Alan, alone." the man nodded, moving back to where Beast and the others were.

Snake nodded with a small, hopeful smile. He took Eric's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.

Eric smiled, patting the boy on the back - Snake reminded him so much of Ronald at times. Shy and often reclusive, but with the same gentle kindness and sweet temperament.

Once Eric was dressed, Snake took his hand and led him back out so that they could catch Alan before they moved on.

Alex sighed slightly; ever since the lion had left, more 'big cats' made their appearance; a leopard, two pumas and one very large, rather sinister looking tiger that sent chills down his spine. Kai was ecstatic, wandering about from animal to animal, happily observing them. Finally, Beast started to pack away the cats, calling out to Alan as she did so. "'Ey! Think ya can help a lady move this all back? I just need someone to hold the treat bag."

Alan blinked and sighed, "Very well…Kai, Briella, stay close….Alex, watch them, please?" he requested.

Alex blinked, but nodded, beckoning the two children to his side. Beast lead the man back into the otherwise forbidden and private area of the circus, far but not far enough as to expose the true horrors that lay within. Vanishing around a corner, leaving the brunet alone, she gave a signal to Snake, who then urged Eric to walk forward. The man swallowed nervously, running a hand through his hair before approaching the brunet from behind a tent. "A-Alan..?"

Alan turned around, his eyes widening, "Eric..?"

Eric was thin, very thin. The open shirt, Alan could plainly see his ribs, his abs and muscles burning away to nothingness. His hair was limp and greasy, grown just past his shoulders, out of its usual style, and his goatee had turned into an almost beard (he needed a shave). Cheeks were sunken in, and dark circles shrouded his glasses-less eyes, as if the man had not slept in days.

Alan stared at him in shock before finally getting over it and shaking his head, turning away, "…So you did come here…"

Eric, however, moved forward, striding over to Alan in a haste, attempting to wrap his arms around the brunet. He wanted to apologize, to tell Alan that he loved him. To tell him the truth.

Alan took a step back, a look of upset anger on his face, "Don't you dare, Eric Slingby! Don't you dare touch me as if nothing happened! What happened? I thought family was the most important thing to you!"

Eric pulled away slightly, expression confused, even a bit hurt. "... Wha' are ya talkin' about? Of course m' family is the most important thin' ta me!"

"Then why did you leave us? Our grandchildren—our son…me? Why did you attack and put our son in the hospital? He's still there! He looks to be there a long time! He's weak, and can't speak and…and he has Thorns, Eric. He is dying and he has attacks more than I do! And where are you while our baby is suffering? Here at a circus with some little…someone who's not me!"

Eric was even more confused, a small ache starting up in his chest as the guilt settle in again. Despite the fact that half of the accusations being thrown at him were indeed false, they hurt more than anything being spat from the mouth of the one - only - person he loved most. "A-Alan... Wha' are ya talkin' about...?"

"I didn't want to believe it—but here you are, just as I was told you'd be. Who is it? Who could make you forget your vows? Your family?" Alan was crying, "Are they worth all this?"

"Alan, I have no idea wha' yer gammerin' abou'!" Eric cried out, his face riddled with desperation, heart quivering with each baring second. "Who the fuck told ya I left ya?! I haven' been seein' anyone, believe me!"

"Then what are you doing here? Why aren't you at home? Why haven't you even visited Ronnie? Why did you leave?"

"I was thrown in 'ere! And I have been ta see Ronnie! I saw 'im about a month 'r so ago!"

"Thrown in here? By who? What's keeping you here? I see no chains or cages keeping you."

"T-This..." Eric reached up, moving the collar of his shirt down, showing what appeared to be just a decorative collar, one teenagers would often where as a sort of style. Nothing special about it, so it seemed. "As fer who, why dun ya ask tha' blondie asshole?"

"Alex? He's a nurse. He's been taking care of our son! He's been very supportive to all of us—where you should have been."

"Alan-"

"No lies, Eric. Answer me yes or no. You left us?"

"I-I... I didnae... I..." he sighed heavily. "I didn' leave ya..."

"WRONG! You left! You haven't been home in over two months, Eric! Let's try again. You attacked our son, putting him in the hospital?"

"I-I... Y-Yes..." Eric stammered, his heart racing, the ache growing.

"And you are living here at this circus?"

"Y-Yes, but Alan-!"

"And…" tears rolled down Alan's cheeks, "You don't love me anymore…why? Is it the Thorns? Are you finally tired of taking care of your sickly husband?"

"Wh'a-? No! No! Tha; isn' true, Alan! I love ya, I love with all m' heart! I love more than anything else!" Eric exclaimed, tears of his own forming in the corners of his eyes. For Eric, crying was rare, unless he was in immense pain or other reasons - actually, as of late, he seemed to have shed tears alot. This may have well be one of the few times he ever cried in front of his husband, but it was the first that Alan had seen the man looking so pained, dejected.

"Then—then why, Eric?"

"I-I had ta! I had ta keep ya safe! I was tryin' ta protect ya an' Ronnie!"

"Protect us? From what? From who?"

Alex's words echoed in the back of Alan's mind. '_Do not let him manipulate you_.'

"Do…you really want to be in our life at all…or are you trying to make up excuses to make me feel better about being betrayed by the man I love more than anything?" Alan whispered.

"Of course I wan' ta be in yer life! Alan, I love ya! W-Why is this so hard fer ya ta believe?" Eric whimpered, his voice starting to crack from frustration and the agony of seeing his husband slip further away from him.

"Because you aren't. You aren't in our lives anymore. You are here. We haven't moved—you could have come home at any time."

"I can't! I can't leave! They won' let me leave, Alan! I'm a prisoner here... please..." he started to reach out, placing a hand on the brunet's shoulder. "Dun do this ta me... I beg ya, believe me!"

"You said you saw Ronnie a month ago…why not come home then? So much of this makes no sense, Eric. I can't handle these—these lies! I-I'm sorry, Eric…You moved on…maybe I should do the same…"

Eric's heart seemed to stop, his eyes going wide as tears seemed to flood the lower lids. No...no! This couldn't be happening, shouldn't be happening! He knew what Alan was about to say... but he didn't want to hear it.

"I—" Alan set down the bag Beast had handed him, turning back towards the main area of the circus, "…Don't let the twins see you…They'd only get upset when you don't come home with us."

Eric tried to speak, tried to say something, anything - yet, his mouth seemed to be malfunctioning, throat clogged up. His heart crumbled in his chest, with every step Alan took, the tears falling at last. It was over; his life was officially over. There was no hope left for him, just an empty abyss, a dark future left living in this prison until his body gave way and he died, working until his last moments as but another slave to the Ringmaster. His family, the ones he cherished most, were lost from him forever, and he would become but a barely noticed memory left off in the distant past as time went on. A choked sob escaped before he stop himself.

Alan dried his cheeks before he found Alex and the twins again, "Come on…lets go find something to eat…" he suggested, taking Briella's hand.

Alex glanced at the brunet, a worried expression crossing his face at the sight of the tear streaks upon the man's cheeks. Gently wrapping an arm around Alan, he leaned in, whispering words of comfort.

Alan got the twins hotdogs and a soda to share, setting them down at a table to eat before he turned to look at Alex, "You were right…he's here…"

Alex drew the brunet into his arms, stroking his soft brown hair. "Shhhh... It's alright. Did he confront you?"

He nodded, "He did…"

"Are you alright? Did he come at you in any way?" Alex asked, his voice concerned.

"He stayed back…when I told him not to touch me, but…I thought…I thought he'd be the Eric I loved…but nothing he said made any sense…"

"It's alright, Alan. You know the truth, you've done all you could." the man reassured.

"But…He's my husband…I made a vow to him…"

"But has he been true to you? Is that really what you want in your life?"

"Oh Alex…I know you mean well, but…He…he was more than just my husband…he was my first…" he sighed and sat down on a bench, "I'm half-pureblood. My mother had been a human, and she raised me until I died—or, my human half died. It had always been a mystery of how I became a reaper because I hadn't been turned. The reaper assigned to collect my soul showed up to find me already a reaper, standing confused over what had been my mortal body…we only five years ago discovered the reason for it. But…when I had died, I had only been fifteen." He looked up at Alex, "I hadn't even so much as had a crush on anyone yet. And then I entered reaper school, and focused on my studies…I didn't even make any friends, I stayed quiet and to myself…until Eric began to mentor me…he became my first friend since I had died…and then, I fell in love with him, and we had a son—and he made me his husband…I feel like…I only know love because of him. He is my love. Romance—parenthood…its all because of him."

Alex gave him an almost saddened look. "I... understand. I felt the exact same way about Jeffery. He was entire world, my heart for six years... But then it came crashing down. It hurt for a long time, but then... I had to move on; and it got better for me. I met someone more special, someone amazing... I met you, Alan."

"Me," Alan nearly scoffed—something he never did, "You met a man with a broken family and a broken heart…a man who is slowly dying under the gaze of everyone around him…if you give me your heart to mend, it'll only be broken again. I could die today—or in a few years…any attack could be my last. Lets face it—I'll die a single parent—knowing my only child will suffer the same death as mine."

"No, you won't" Alex stated firmly, moving to standing in front of the brunet, resting his hands on his shoulders. "Alan... I don't care if you are dying. I don't care if you are broken to pieces, with a broken family - you are everything to me. I want to be there for you, no matter what happens. It isn't about me, it's about you... and I... I love you..." He moved again, sinking down to kneel before the man on one knee. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small velvet box. "Alan Humphries..." he started. "I know it's been a really rough time for you... and I know the pain you feel is unbearable. But I want to be there for, to rebuild what has been broken and taken, and to give you a brand new life... Will you marry me?"

"Alex..!" Alan gasped. He hadn't expected this…not at all. And he fingered the simple band of gold that represented his marriage to Eric—it's matching ring having not been on Eric's finger, he had noticed. He swallowed thickly, "I'm…still married to Eric…"

"We can take care of that... Please Alan." he smiled hopefully at the man. "Give me a chance..."

Alan bit his lip, feeling hesitant. He'd married before and his husband left him…but then again…Alex was suffering from a broken heart just as well… slowly he nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed, his cheeks burning. Eric didn't want him—and Alex did. Maybe…he could still live out a happy life with someone to help support him through his attacks. "Y-yes…"

Alex smiled, a feeling of victory overwhelming him. He paused, sensing a presence looming nearby, watching his every move; glancing over, he almost smirk, seeing none other than Eric Slingby watching them between the tents. His face was one of heartbreak, agony and despair; his hand clutched at his chest, his crumpled heart taken and stomped upon. A single tear trickled down his cheek.

"Ooo! Pretty!" Kai said, spotting the shinning ring. He ran over, climbing onto Alex's back to get a better look at the ring in the little box "It's shinny!"

"Wha's it for, Mista?" Briella chirped, sitting on Dagger's lap.

"I-it's tradition for someone to give a ring to someone they wish to marry when they make the proposal, Alex asked me to be his husband…" Alan blushed.

"So…like how mama and Daddy are husbandses? Is Mista Alex our new Gwampa?" Kai asked.

Eric could barely take anymore, his heart bleeding from the inside out. Choking slightly, he remained still, unable to move or speak, forced to watch the little display.

"What's gonna happen to Gwampa if we have New Gwampa?" Briella asked, "I miss Gwampa…"

Alex looked to Alan to explain; no way was he making that mistake again. Instead, he busied himself with gently removing the ring from Alan's finger, replacing it with his own.

Alan looked a little sad a moment, "Eric will always be your grandfather, and he'll always love you." He reassured the twins, "He's in your blood, and nothing can change that."

Kai glanced to the side, his attention capture by something - or rather, someone - standing farther off in the distance. His eyes widened, drawn to the supposed sight of his Grandfather retreating back into the camp, a sorrowful expression upon his face.

"Kai! I'mma eat your chips if you don't want them!" Briella called, reaching over into the boy's basket of chips.

"HEY!" the boy yelled, clambering back to his seat, grabbing his bowl. "Mine! Eat Mista Dagger's!"

"No! Mista Dagger needs his food so he can throw his knives right!" she hugged the man tight, "And he's cooler than you." She stuck out her tongue at her brother."

"You just like 'im cause you LOVVVVEEE HIM!" he laughed, shoving the rest of his chips into his mouth.

"I do not! I'mma strong in-ind-pent knight! I don't need lovy-dovy icky kissing boys to take care of me like fairies do!"

"..Pwincess!"

Dagger chuckled. "So ye wanna be a knight?" he asked, grinning at the little girl.

"Yes!" she grinned up at him, "I want to be strong and save people!"

"And I'm sure ye'll do a fine job of it!" Dagger grinned, ruffling her hair.

She giggled and wiggled happily, then sighed and slumped against him, "Are you happy throwing knives here? How'd you get this job?"

Kai sighed and slipped off the bench, running back over to his grandmother, "Briella's annoying…" he complained.

"I am not, yer annoyin'!" Briella shouted back, hugging onto the knife thrower.

"No, you!"

"No fighting, you two. You promised your Mama you'd be good today. You don't want your mama to be sad, do you?" Alan sighed, scooping Kai into his arms.

The twins deflated slightly, Kai hugging his grandmother tightly. "We're sowwy, Gwandma..." he sniffled, hiding his face in the brunet's shoulder. "Please don't tell Mama, we don't want Mama to be sad no more!"

"You can still take your mama cotton candy in the hospital to make him happy again." Alan assured them, kissing his grandson's temple.

"Wha' about some cookies fer Daddy?" Briella chirped. "Annnnnd, we can bring Mista Dagger home for them, too!"

"Cookies, yes, Mister Dagger, no." Alan said.

"But he's not happy here!" She protested.

"He never said that!" Kai said.

"His eyes did, when I asked! We can take him home and save him and he can be happy and find a job he likes!"

Dagger laughed once more, leaning back casually in his seat. "Yer very kind, Little Miss, but I can't leave" he smiled, though this one didn't seem to reach his eyes as before.

"And why not? I can save you!" She pressed.

"Ella, Sweetie, things aren't as simple as that. He likely has a contract here." Alan smiled.

"Eeeeyup" the man said, ending the word with a pop of the mouth. "A long, never-ending contract~"

Briella frowned, "I don't like that." She paused, "I can stay with you, then!"

"No, you are not running off to join the circus! You are only five!"

"Five-and-a-half!" she protested, "And I'm older than Kai!"

"By only half an' hour!" the little boy protested, pouting at his sister.

"Still older!"

"So what?" Kai huffed. "Stuuupid birthdates... Why'd Mommy halfa let dumb ol' Ella be borned first?!"

Alan laughed, "Trust me, Your mama wasn't 'letting' her be born first. She just came first. Your mama was just happy to meet you both at last, because he already loved you so-so much! Both of you."

"Kai probably smelt stinkier though!" Briella teased.

"You both were pretty stinky. I know—changed your nappies enough." Alan smirked.

"I wasn't too stinky... was I, Gwandma?" Kai gave the man a worried glance. "Pwincess' can't be stinky!"

"All babies have stinky moments. Even your mama was when he was a baby."

"Mama was never a baby! He's too big!" Kai said

Alan laughed again, "Your mama is my baby. That's why he calls me 'mama' and I'm your 'grandma'."

"Was 'e Gwandpa's baby, too?" Briella asked.

"…Yes…your grandpa is your mama's daddy." Alan said, feeling a pang of loss once more.

"Gwandma?"

"Yes, love?" He looked down at Kai.

"Ummm... Never mind." the boy mumbled, nuzzling into Alan's shoulder. "I wuv you, Gwandma!"

"I love you too, my Kai." He smiled, cradling the boy close to his chest. Yes. Even if Eric left him…he still had his son…he had his grandchildren.


End file.
